Evening star., 1944-09-28
This and That
Bu Charles E. Trdce1ceU.
War in a corner

War in corner
1t was taking place just as Templeton
Jones switched on the light.
There in the upper corner of the room
a spider had built it's web, and despite
vigilant housekeeping had managed to
ply his trade.
A centipede, looking against the pale
wallpaper as large as snake, was
stalking the spider
Centipedes are not insects, but ageres-
sive carnivorous animals, hunting for
living prey.
Templeton Jones. naturalist. knew
this, but he did not like the sight any
the better for his knowledge.
The spider dropped down on Its
thread about feet below the cent?
pede.
The thousand logger, in popular par
lapce, came after it on all its legs.
The spider slid up into its web. This
was where it made its big mistake. The
manylegged foe was on it in a second.
Evidently it stung it with poison, be-
cause the spider was soon limp.
At this juncture Jones got into ac-
ton, and scooped up the centipede and
its prey in a big piece of paper.
Centipedes are good insect killers, but
that is about all Templeton Jones could
say for them.
He did not like them.
Most persons share his objections.
Centipedes especially against light wall
papers, appear very large and very dark.
Their speed is amazing, either on the
horizontal or vertical surface They are
able to walk on the ceiling as we'll as the
floor, and at times will even Jump at
one
When they leap down, they make an
audible ''plop' as they land
1t is impossible to watch them for
any length of time without working up
a bit Of respect for their ability.
This will not make sensitive persons
like to have them around. Despite the
fact that homes where there are cent?
pedes will have few insects. most house,
holders would like to get rid of them
Very little is known about their de-
struction. One will seek information in
vain.
Since they are truly animals. how
ever, it is interesting to speculate that
they may be killed with poisoned bait.
Ground meat, spiked with red squill
powder might be placed in Easements
and other damp places.
They should be put beneath an in
verted box or can, with one side slightly
raised off the ground with bit of wood
or folded paper.
Centipedes are fiat, and can get into
almost invisible crevices. This ability
is their safety in nature.
Scientists tell us that they occasional
ly devour one another.
Sometimes they will eat the juicy
parts of plants.
They kill their victims by the injec-
ton of poison.
They also possess the ability to throw
out sticky threads, and thus actually
lasso their prey.
A popularity of the creature is that it
likes to have much of its body in con-
tact with adjacent surfaces-this comes
from its fondness for crevices-and
hence it sometimes creeps into the nos
trils and ears.
Those who do not care for centipedes
should be glad they do not live in the
tropics. There they grow 18 inches
long, and Indian children pull them
from the earth and eat them as tidbits.
Centipedes are carnivorous, millepedes
are vegetarian; centipedes are poison
Gus. millipedes are harmless It is in
teresting to note that despite their
names centipedes do not have a hun
dred legs. or millipedes a thousand
but when they get to rowing along the
ground the observer feels they have al
Of It.