. The cyclopædia of anatomy and physiology. Anatomy; Physiology; Zoology. MYRIAPODA. 545 ments, and likev/ise allied to the latter by the construction of their jointed locomotive legs; these, however, instead of being only six in number, as in the true Insects, are, in the Myriapoda, always at least twelve, and fre- quently extremely numerous, being appended to all the segments of the elongated body, whence the names " Centipedes" and " Mille- pedes," by which these creatures are commonly designated. All the members of the class are apterous ; they exhibit externally a succ
. The cyclopædia of anatomy and physiology. Anatomy; Physiology; Zoology. MYRIAPODA. 545 ments, and likev/ise allied to the latter by the construction of their jointed locomotive legs; these, however, instead of being only six in number, as in the true Insects, are, in the Myriapoda, always at least twelve, and fre- quently extremely numerous, being appended to all the segments of the elongated body, whence the names " Centipedes" and " Mille- pedes," by which these creatures are commonly designated. All the members of the class are apterous ; they exhibit externally a succession of cylindrical or compressed rings, each of which sustains one or more, frequently two pairs of jointed feet, all of very similar con- struction, being generally terminated by a single sharp claw. There is no consolidation of the anterior segments into a thorax resembling that of the Insecta, although many celebrated Entomologists are disposed to regard the three anterior rings as the representatives of the tho- racic segments. Upon the head are placed two antenna? or feelers, which, in one large group, are short, stunted, and composed of seven articulations, whilst in others these organs are long and setaceous, presenting a much greater number of distinct joints. Compound or simple eyes, allied in their structure to those of Insects, are generally, but not always, pre- sent. The mouth is formidable, and, in many respects, resembles that of Insects, being fur- nished with strong mandibles, adapted to de- vour either animal or vegetable substances. All the species breathe air by means of lateral stigmata and tracheal tubes, a circumstance whereby they are at once distinguishable from the CRUSTACEA. Their jointed legs remove them from the ANNELIDA, while they differ from the Insecta in many important particulars, but more especially in the progressive growth of their bodies, by the production of new seg- ments, and the development of additional loco- motive limbs, the num
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