Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-11-16
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TrdceDeH.

Dear Sir:
"I thought I might add to your lore
Of the centipede, by telling you my OBJ
servations.
Just as in the home of your friend
Templeton Jones, these creatures are
very much disliked, so much SO that we
have got the habit of swapping the lights
on whenever we wake up at night
I'm this way we are able to give some
authentic advice as to the upstairs &C
tivities of centipedes and millipedes.
They seldom arise to such heights
until after 9 pm, and mostly do not
appear until after l am.
"The favorite prowling time for these
killers is between 3 and am. have
never seen one after that hour.
This should give comfort to sensitive
persons who loathe-and think with
good reason-these crawlers.
IT do not think, from my observations,
that there is really much danger of them
getting into peoples ears and nose. Such
stories are mostly old wives tales. Just
why old wives are given the credit I do
not know.
1.-THE centipede is too much occupied
with finding its dinner to bother about
humans. Yours truly, j. Mem"
The centipede is an air-breathing ami
NAL which in some ways resembles in
sects, and in others does not at all.
Their nearest relatives are the insects.
Their relationship with millipedes is
much more distant.
The head distinguishes the various
centipedes. Fossil forms are without
heads, much more resembling earth
worms than our modern house cent?
pedes.
There are, in the main, two broad
classes One group leaves the egg with
the full number of body segments and
walking legs.
The second group leaves the egg with
seven pairs of legs. There are SUISSE
quent periods Of growth, and changing
of skin, until in time the creatures have
the full set, which may run from to
200.
The segment just below the head bears
the poison claws. In some species there
are some special sense organs on each
side of the head, but the use is unknown.
In the tropics there are centipedes a.
least 8 and inches long.
A few attain the gigantic size Of a
full 10 inches.
Their bite, it may be believed, is very
poisonous.
One will not have to fear much of a
bite, If any, from the Scutigera, or house
centipedes.
Ammonia is supposed to- be the best
remedy, in case Of bite. Probably q
better thing would be to wash the wound
carefully In hot water and soap, dry
and then apply one of the staining
germicides.
1t is interesting to note that some OF
the more ancient forms Of centipede
were able to give light. In most such
cases the creatures were blind.
The brain power of these odd animals
is nothing unusual. Persons who dis
like them, and therefore watch them at
unusual times, trying to catch them
will discover that they prowl walls and
ceilings on which there is positively not
an insect form of any sort. Yet they
come up every. night, when they might
better stay in the basement Evidently
there is lure about going up which is
in the very life blood, as 1t were, OF all
animal life. The insects do not have
this urge to 60 up, higher and higher
The centipedes do, just as man must
make airplanes to go higher and higher
into the shakespeare and dream OF
rocket ships to take him to the planets
Whatever one may think of centipedes
he must concede them remarkably hui
man, In many ways having psychol-
ogy Of their own. showing the thread 81
life which runs through tn universe.