. Birds of other lands, reptiles, fishes, jointed animals and lower forms;. Zoology; Birds; Reptiles; Fishes. CENTIPEDES AND MILLIPEDES 281 they pass through no metamorphoses, nor do they moult. Instead of this, the}' begin their existence, on quitting the egg, without legs, or with only three pairs of legs, and contuuie to add to the number of their segments and legs until the}' ha\'e attained their full growth. They are called Centipedes, or Hundred-legs, and Millipedes, or Thousand-legs ; but in the majority of species the number of legs is considerabl}' below 100, though in some few it may
. Birds of other lands, reptiles, fishes, jointed animals and lower forms;. Zoology; Birds; Reptiles; Fishes. CENTIPEDES AND MILLIPEDES 281 they pass through no metamorphoses, nor do they moult. Instead of this, the}' begin their existence, on quitting the egg, without legs, or with only three pairs of legs, and contuuie to add to the number of their segments and legs until the}' ha\'e attained their full growth. They are called Centipedes, or Hundred-legs, and Millipedes, or Thousand-legs ; but in the majority of species the number of legs is considerabl}' below 100, though in some few it may exceed 300. The Centipedes have only one pair of legs attached to each segment of the bod}', and are carnivorous, being armed with a pair of strong mandibles, which are perforated poison- fangs. The common species are all small and harmless, but the bite of the large tropical centipedes is more painful and almost as dangerous as that of a snake. Centipedes are long, broad, flattened creatures, with about twenty-one pairs of legs, and sometimes measure more than a foot in length. A reddish centipede, belonging to an allied famil}', is common in England under stones and in loose mould. It has long antenna; and fifteen pairs of legs, and feeds chiefly on worms. It is about an inch Phit, ty IV P. Dando, GIANT CENTIPEDE Mo^t cencipedci ha-ve considerably fenver (hjn a hundred legs The Electric Centipedes are much longer and more slender than the others in proportion to their length, with rather short antennje, and short and very numerous legs. The}' are of a white or yellow colour, and 2 or 3 inches long. All are nocturnal in their habits, and feed on decaying animal or vegetable matter, and are fond of ripe fruit. They emit a pale phosphorescence, visible in the dark along the track over which the}' have crawled. AIillipEDES are not venomous, and feed chiefly on soft \'egetable matter. Except the first three behind the head, which are provided with only one pair each
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecad, booksubjectfishes, booksubjectzoology
