Centipede

[Lat. centipeda, from centum, a hundred, and pes, ped is, a foot.] ( Zool.) The genus Scolopen dra, of Cuvier, composed of carnivorous annulosa belonging to the order Myriapod a. They are distinguished by having antennæ of fourteen joints or upwards; a mouth composed of two mandibles; a quadrifid lip: two palpi, or small feet, united at their base; and a second lip, formed by a second pair of dilated feet, joined at their origin, and terminated by a strong hook, having an opening beneath its point, through which a poisonous fluid is thrown out. The body is long, depre ed, and membranous, each ring being covered by a coriaceous or cartilaginous plate, and mostly having one pair of feet; the last is usually thrown backwards, and elongated in form of a tail. These insects conceal themselves under the decayed bark of trees, the decayed timbers of buildings, and among stones, lumber, and rubbish, whence they sally forth at night in search of prey. Our species usually 2 or 3 inches long, but in the West India Islands, and throughout S. America, where Fig . 552.-CENTIPEDE. they multiply rapidly and grow to a large size, they are very formidable pests. The utmost vigilance is nece ary, even in cleanly houses, to prevent these creatures from finding their way into the beds; and although they endeavor to escape as soon as a light is brought tendency to fly off in a straight line at a tangent in the circle, which tendency is called the centrifugal force ; and the opposing power by which the body is retained in the circular path is called the centripetal force. The first law of motion is, that a body must continue for ever in a state of rest, or in a state of uniform and rectilineal motion, if it be not disturbed by the action of an external cause. Upon this law the doctrine of central forces is founded. It therefore considers the external forces which act upon a body in motion, when there is an alteration, either in its velocity, or direction round a central point. It also considers the law of the force by which a body moves around another in a known curve, and solves various mathematical problems. Gravity, as exemplified in the force which acts on all bodies from the centre of the earth, is the simplest and most general example of a central force. Kepler and Newton devoted much time and labor to the study of central forces. Central i a, in Illinois , a city of Marion co., 252 miles S. of Chicago. Here are shops of the Illinois Central R. R. Co., coal mines, iron and steel works, etc. It lies in the famous fruit-belt of S. Illinois. Pop . (1890) 4,763. Central i a, in Mi ouri , a town of Boone co., on the Wabash and Chicago and Alton railroads, 124 miles N. W. of St. Louis. Pop . (1890) 1,275. Central i a, in Wisconsin , a city of Wood co., on Wisconsin river, opposite Grand Rapids. It has abundant water power, partly utilized for manufacture. Pop . (1890) 1,435.