I 
I . 
282 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 
in shape and appearance that they might 
easily be mistaken for them, and they exhibit 
the , same habit of rolling themselves up into 
a ball. . , , . • 
, A curious genus, generally placed in a 
distinct class by itself, includes a, few species 
which may be called SLIMY MILLIPEDES. 
Ihe species are found in widely separated 
parts of the world, chiefly in the most southern 
regions, such as South America, South Africa, 
Australia, and New Zealand, though one or 
two are known from Ceylon and the West 
Indies. They resemble slimy caterpillars, with 
conspicuous antenme, and from thirteen to 
forty pairs of legs. The body is not dis- 
tinctly divided into segments, and it exudes 
a very viscous slime, which acts like bird-lime 
in capturing the small insects which form at 
least a part of the food of these creatures, but 
which will not adhere to their own bodies. 
These creatures are found among decaying 
vegetable matter. 
Economic Status of Insects 
Photo by P, Dando^ F.Z. 5.] 
GIANT 
MILLIPEDE 
Shows the absence of jaws, which distinguishes these creatures from the 
predatory centipedes 
iRegent's Part A careful inquiry into the injurious and 
the beneficent work of insects leaves us in 
doubt as to whether the sum total of one over- 
balances the other or not. We find that 
insects are injurious in many ways: As 
destroyers of valuable plants ; as destroyers of stored food, clothing, dwellings, books, etc. ; 
injuring useful animals, annoying man, and carrying disease. And there are many ways in 
which insects are a benefit: As destroyers of injurious insects; as destroyers of noxious plants; 
as pollenisers of plants ; as scavengers ; as makers of soil ; and as food (for man and beast), 
clothing, and use in the arts. 
Some idea of the destructiveness of an insect pest can be gained from the fact that the 
State of Massachusetts has expended over a million dollars in a not particularly successful 
attempt to extirpate the Gypsy moth in a few of its Eastern counties. On the other hand, 
we may balance to the insect’s account the 36,000,000 pounds which the industrious silkworm 
produced last year. 
