Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-12-08

This interesting insect is not so much cee-
brated for its amiablity Of disposition as for
its good looks, but, at the same time we can
not recommend it either as a psrlor ornament
or as a toy for a child to play with, unless it
is a second hand child that nobody has any
particular use for. Centipedes are of differ
cnt Sizes but they are all made pretty much
after the same pattern. They are made up
of about one-third sting, one-third bite, and
one.third general cussedness. They are case
mated with shell that is as hard as the bark
Of boarding house cranberry pie The length
Of the oentipede varies vary much, but il a
centipede wants to get a mention in the local
paper he has to stretch himself out to about
nine inches in length. We have never read
of one that measured less His body, which
is a succession of fiat joints, is not much
broader than an ordinary mans finger The
centipede is built on the iron-clad system,
although it does not make quite as much noise
As the English feet bombarding Alexandria.
Ia fact, the centipede is not musical at all,
but If it happens to crawl over a man it will
make him very musical Immediately.
Its head or bow, comparing it to an iron
clad, is armed with pair of pincers, which,
besides being as venomous as the editor of
party organ, can bite the end of an iron safe.
Each side is armed with about forty short
legs, and each leg is armed with a sting like
a pair of hooks, which, like its pincers, are
red hot, so we have been told by an innocent
young man who undertook to pick il up by
its stem. When a centipede anchors his head
in the heshy anatomy of a human being,
throws out his two graphing irons from his
rear and then draws his eighty odd, very odd,
claws together, it will bring tears to the heart
of an Irish landlord to see how the little pet
holds.
The bite of the centipede rarely causes
death, but it makes the bitten party wish he
were dead for a short time, at least, and leaves
an ugly sore. The statement that the bite of
the centipede does not cause death is liable to
correction. The centipede is very apt to be-
come ''remains" after il bites a person, as
there is quite prejudice against it. For this
reason it is very much secluded in its habits,
living in retirement among the rocks of old
buildings. Its diet is believed to be insects
that are not as heavily armed and iron-clad.
Why the centipede was created in the first
place, and what good purpose it serves, ore
profound mysteries to the ordinary intellect.
One evening about dusk Texas gentleman
of a scientific turn of mind was sitting on his
front ,llery when his attention was called to
an extraordinary meteorological concateua-
tion, as circus men say. A pecuiar-shaped
cloud seemed to reach down from the sky
and then draw itself up again, very much af-
Ter tue LnhuueE OI InOs6 CyClOnlc CLOUDS IN
Iowa. The gentleman was ry much inter
ested in this meteorological perturbation,
which he attributed at first to atmospheric
influences, when it occurred to him that the
peculiar cloud or water-spout might be near
er than the distant horizon. He took off his
hat and found that his surmise was correct
Fastened to the rim of the hat by its hind
claws was q beautiful centipede about nine
inches long. The peculiar meteorological
phenomena were produced by the insect draw
ing itself up and letting itself down in its ef-
forts to find a nose or some other feature to
hang Oh to in order to facilitate its descent
As the gentleman had comparatively short
nose the insect was foiled. 1t died shortly
afterward by the gentleman accidentally step
ping on it about a dozen consecutive times
with the heel of his boot
As we have already stated, centipedes are
comparatively rare in the well-settled portion
of Texas, being usually found in bottle of
alcohol on the showcase of some druggist
who has a taste for the beautiful. In this
particular, centipedes differ from some men.
They are much more peaceful and harmless
when in liquor than otherwise. With cent?
pedes as with Indians, the only good ones are
those that are dead.-Ieras SiftiRgS.