58 
NATURE NOTES. 
A Carnivorous Millipede.— On p. 12 of last month’s Nature Notes 
occurs the sentence — “ The millipedes, on the contrary, are sluggish vegetarians, 
with hard, cylindrical bodies,” &c. Some time ago my attention was attracted to 
a large earthworm, writhing and twisting about on the garden path, as though in 
pain, or through having received some injury. On examining it more closely to 
ascertain the cause of its unusual movements, I found that a millipede had fastened 
itself to the side of the worm, and appeared to be boring or eating its way into 
the body, whilst the most violent efforts on the part of the worm were ineffectual 
in shaking off its antagonist. If the millipede is a vegetarian, what could be its 
object in attacking so harmless and defenceless a creature as the earthworm ? The 
above, which I take to be a millipede, is the black or dark-coloured creature 
“ with hard, cylindrical body” ordinarily found coiled up in a spiral, under stones 
or rubbish. 
[We have .submitted your question to the competent authority whose review 
you quote ; he kindly writes as follows : — “ If there is no mistake about the 
identity of the aggressor in the account cited above, the observation is one of con- 
siderable interest ; for so far as we are aware it is the only case on record of a 
millipede being guilty of such conduct. But were it not for the positive state- 
ment that the species was the dark-coloured creature with a hard, cylindrical body, 
which is ordinarily found coiled up in a spiral under stones or rubbish — a descrip- 
tion which exactly applies to the millipedes of the genus lulus — we should have 
concluded without hesitation that the struggle in question was merely one of those 
that habitually takes place between the centipedes of the genera Lithobius or 
Geophilus and the earthworms upon which they feed.” — Ed. N. W.] 
Birds and Squirrels. — My observations with regard to birds and squirrels 
lead me to think it is the association of sounds with danger which causes alarm. 
Squirrels certainly are specially afraid of the human voice. I have seen one 
coming at full canter to my window, which they frequent for nuts, and stop dead 
short eight or ten yards off, because a lady in the room behind me spoke in her 
natural voice, though the window was shut. The squirrel stood up and listened 
eagerly on the path, and finally returned to its tree. I have often watched them 
come to the window, and though they hesitate and listen and look carefully before 
they start, I have never before seen one pause when once the start was made. As I 
have two dogs I think the squii rels specially rush the journey between their tree and 
the window for fear of their enemies appearing on the scene ; when once at the 
window they are safe, as they can run all over the house by means of the creepers. 
These same squirrels do not mind the noise of coals being put on, or of the door 
being opened, though the sight of some one coming in at the door sometimes 
frightens them. They are getting used to my voice, and I frequently stand close 
to the window whilst they are on the sill and talk to them, and they turn round 
and look at me and try to take nuts out of my hand through the glass. I fear they 
are much hunted by boys, and even men, in this neighbourhood, and they are 
liable to have their nests robbed as well as to be stoned to death, both of which 
terrors are associated with the human voice. They certainly are much more 
afraid of strangers at a distance which would allow of stoning, than close at hand ; 
no one can come near them in the garden, and if looked at twenty or thirty yards 
off, they will run up a tree and hide, but they will sit on a raised window sill, 
entirely exposed to view, for ten minutes at a time, eating coco-nut, whilst a 
stranger sits at a writing table close to the window, not a yard from the sill. I 
think in the same way birds associate the report of the gun with danger, but do 
not associate the human voice with it, men who shoot and boys who birds-nest being 
habitually silent when so occupied. Birds and squirrels both fear being looked at 
steadily, and before they are lame, can he approached much more easily at the 
window if one’s head is turnetl another way whilst moving towards them. 
L. M. Forster. 
Birds and Windows (p. 39). — Birds do see through glass. My father 
always fed the birds legularly several times a day. He had only to go to the window 
upstairs or down, when immediately a cloud of sparrows would descend and alight 
in expectation of his bounty. If he looked out of the window upstairs they 
perched on the verandah, if downstairs they flew on to the turf bank before the 
window of the sitting room, always ready for their meal ; the sight of his venerable 
