CENTIPEDES. 



147 



pointed fangs, working transversely in front of the head. 

 Each of these fangs is perforated, and bears a bag of viru- 

 lent poison, which is infused into the wound made by the 

 point, exactly like the venom of the viper. The fangs 

 are moved by very powerful muscles, so that, wielded by 

 an animal of acute perceptions, and of considerable 

 strength and swiftness, it may be reasonably expected 

 that they become the ministers of speedy death to multi- 

 tudes of insects on which the Centipede habitually feeds. 

 Even man has learned to dread their power ; the species 

 are numerous in all tropical countries, where many of 

 them attain a large size ; not infrequently being seen a 

 foot in length, and an inch in breadth ; the bite of these 

 species is much more formidable than the sting of the 

 Scorpion, always producing fever, and sometimes death. 



As if this were not enough to make the Centipedes for- 

 midable, some kinds appear to be endowed with that 

 mysterious power, possessed by certain fishes also, of 

 communicating electric shocks to other creatures. A 

 smart discharge, quite sensible to the human nerves, is 

 said to be given by Geophilus electricus, a lengthened slen- 

 der species, not uncommon in our gardens. This same 

 species is also luminous in the dark, giving out a pale 

 blue gleam from every part of its body. We once had an 

 opportunity of making some observations on this interest- 

 ing luminous creature, which are recorded elsewhere,* and 

 to which we therefore refer our readers. 



The animals of this class undergo certain changes of 

 form in their progress from infancy to the adult condi- 

 tion ; these, however, can scarcely be called metamor- 



* Zoologist, for 1843, p. 160. 



