526 
THE MILLEPEDE. 
breathing apparatus. The real spiracles may be seen on the under sides of the animal, close 
to the insertion of the feet. Like the preceding creatures, they can roll themselves up, but 
on account of the length of their body, they can only assume a spiral form, as is shown by the 
left-hand figure in the illustration. 
The two figures shown in the 
accompanying illustration, repre- 
sent the common Millepede of 
the garden. This little creature is 
very plentiful, and may be found 
under decaying wood, or below 
stones. Its movements are very 
curious. The little delicate feet, 
looking like white threads proceed- 
ing from below, move in a regu- 
laily graduated Older, SO that, as MILLEPEDE . — Julus terrestris (Magnified.) 
the creature glides along, a succes- 
sion of waves seem to pass over its body. On being touched it immediately stops, and coils 
itself into a spiral form, lying necessarily on its side. 
The development of the Julidse is curious and interesting. In the early part of the spring, 
the female deposits sixty or seventy eggs in the earth, digging a hole expressly for their 
reception. Here they lie until they are hatched, which occurs in about three weeks’ time, 
when the young Julidse make their way into the world. They are then without any limbs, 
and retain the two halves of the egg-shell by means of a filament, which fastens them to the 
body. After a little while they gain three pairs of feet, and then are able to separate them- 
selves from the egg-shell. At this period of their existence, they bear a great resemblance to 
the larvse of some beetles. As they continue to grow, however, the number of segments and 
limbs increase, so that they gradually lose their resemblance to the beetle larvse, and attain 
the shape and form of their parents. 
The Spirostreptes cinctatus is a native of India, and sometimes attains considerable 
dimensions, reaching a length of nine inches. It is of a rusty red color, in some individuals 
inclining to yellowish clay, and has a drab ring round the middle of each segment. The legs 
also have a ring of the same color round the middle of each joint. 
Our last example, the JSpirostreptes annulatipes , is a creature of large size. This is also 
an Indian species, and somewhat resembles the preceding, except that its colors are much 
deeper ; there is a narrow black ring round the middle of each segment, and each joint is 
broadly banded with the same color. There are seventy -five segments in this species, when it 
has reached full age. 
