ENTOMOLOGY

INSECT POISONING AND MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 465of venom claws which are large-clawed appendages lying beneath thehead. The opening of the venom duct in Ethmostigmus spinosus, whichhas been carefully studied by Cornwall, is on the dorsal surface of theclaw a little way from the apex and somewhat near the external side.There is one venom gland in each of two venom claws. This species isnocturnal in habit and is not naturally vicious and will not bite unlesshurt or worried. A centipede's bite may be merely a snap, but once he findshis fangs sink into the fine tissues his main idea, if other portions of himare not being mistreated, seems to be to eat. To this end he digs as manylegs as he can apply into the subject, the posterior ones to obt.ain It firmhold, and the anterior ones to knead the tissues. 'The venom claws areworked in and out and with the help of the first pair of legs the skin ofthe subject is pushed into the mouth. In five minutes a centipede willthus consume a length of rabbit skin nearly one centimeter long. Themain function of the venom claws is to hold the food tightly against themouth-parts to facilitate mastication. The slow but regularly continuedFIG. 88.-A centipede, ,scolO'[JtJ1ldra mOI'BitUiIUI (Bradford).relaxation and closing of the venom claws is designed to permit the :flowof venom into that part of the food which is to be taken into themouth. The toxic action is so slow that the venom would be practicallyuseless for destruction or defense. Cornwall believes therefore that thevenom principally serves as a digestive juice.Other species of centipedes which have been recorded as venomous areScolopendro, cingulo,to, Latreille, S. gigantca Linnaeus, S. moraitana Linnaeus(fig. 88), S~ heros Girard, and Geophilus similis Leach.The centipede bite may cause some local pain, swelling, and erythemalasting a few hours. The general symptoms are great mental anxiety~vomiting, irregular pulse, dizziness, and headache. When severe localinflammation follows a centipE:de bite" it is chiefly due to septic infection.A large c.entipede which has secured a firm hold of the skin by digging inits fangs and legs can almost be torn in half before it can be induced to letgo, and in delicate skins each leg can, under such circumstances, make Ii,punctured wound which will ad~it infective organisms. The use of dis",infectants to prevent infection by outside organisms is therefore necessary.Vorhies has described two cases of Arizona centipede bite, in both.of which the pain was severe and prevented sleep.