POISONS FBOM ANIMAL KINGDOM 138 



under the genus Gryilacris, of the family Locus- 

 tidae. It is a long antenna grasshopper, and quite 

 uncommon. In Wilkinson's abridged " Malay-English 

 Dictionary " it is identified as a large venomous spider. 

 In Keiantan it has the eerie reputation of giving 

 premonition of death to the person it may bite. No 

 evidence is at present forthcoming whether it has 

 poisonous properties. The Malay word pesmi signifies 

 order, instruction, command, direction. 



MILLEPEDES 



In Keiantan the juice obtained by crushing mille- 

 pedes is a favom'ite excipient for many of the set 

 poisonous preparations, especially those containing the 

 decayed fruit of reiiguL The large tropical pill- 

 millepede {jfinang koiui bukit or kosai, Zephroniidse) 

 is stated to be often used in this way. It is a red-black 

 kind of thirteen segments, about 2J to 3 inches long, 

 found in damp places under stones on hillsides, and 

 addicted to rolling itself up into a complete ball when 

 touched and remaining in this state for a considerable 

 length of time. A big black worm-Uke millepede 

 called jelanior is contained in a particularly deadly 

 combination mentioned under section Bengut. It 

 belongs to the genus Spirostreptidae, and is one 

 of the largest knoT\Tn millepedes, reaching a length of 

 9 inches ; it is found in clearings of dense jungle, 

 especially after rain. In Pahang jUantor is known as 

 chahdo7igy and in Keiantan as ulai hidai chSrang. 

 Most of the genus (Spirosttreptus and Spirobolus) 

 secrete a poison with a smell similar to that of prussic 

 acid, which causes smarting, discoloration, and de- 

 squamation of the skin (Eef. 11). Phisalix sums up 

 the substances secreted by millepedes and so far 

 identified as camphor, hydrocyanic acid, and quinone. 



