26 BULLETIN OF WISCONSIN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. VOL. 4, NOS. 1-2. 
The carrion beetles of the family Silphidse emit from the mouth 
and anus a fetid liquid with an ammoniacal odor ( Packard '98 p. 
375) as we have frequently noticed. This is probably derived 
from the decomposition of its food and is not a glandular product 
at all. 
SPECIAL PART. 
Experiments with Myriapods. 
For many years the repugnatorial secretion of the Julidae has 
been referred to by various writers, although even yet nothing 
definite is known of its chemical composition. As long ago as 
1870 Prof. E. D. Cope ('70) remarked that "the species of Spiv em- 
bolus and Jiilus discharge a yellowish juice having much the smell 
of aqua regia and a very acrid taste. The Spirostrephon lactarius 
exudes from a series of lateral pores a fluid which has in its odor 
a close resemblance to creasote." Wheeler ('90) has "frequently 
seen our common Julus,* when irritated, emit from its repugna- 
tory glands a brown liquid with a pungent odor not unlike bro- 
mine." More recently Cook ('00) has treated in greater detail the 
question of this secretion. 
We quote the following from his observations : "When the 
liquid comes in contact with the skin a yellowish green stain 
results, which gradually deepens to a dull purple. * * * The 
alcohol in which these large diplopods are collected takes on 
similar colors, yellowish green at first, changing to a very deep 
purplish red, and has a characteristic disagreeable odor different 
from that of the living animal, but still in some respects suggest- 
ing it. This odor Loew considered similar to that of pyridine. 
* * * Direct exposure to the light and heat of the sun is also 
speedily fatal to many diplopoda, the heavily armored Spiroboli 
are often quite dead after ten or fifteen minutes' exposure. That 
this susceptibility may prove to be the result of some chemical 
change or dissociation of the stored repugnatorial fluid is appar- 
ently indicated by the fact that animals killed by exposure to the 
sun do not stain the alcohol as described above, the repugnatorial 
fluid having oozed out and having been evaporated from the sur- 
face of the segments. This suggests a further possibility that 
the material elaborated in the repugnatorial glands may not attain 
its final and effective composition until directly or indirectly acted 
upon by the air." 
* Probably identical with the species of Spirobolus here considered. 
