thousand-legs

Spiders, thousand-legs, crawfishes and even earth-worms are often spoken of as bugs.

An Elementary Study of Insects Leonard Haseman

They squirmed and wriggled, contorted and crackled like giant thousand-legs, and almost excited in me a repulsion.

Mystic Isles of the South Seas. Frederick O'Brien 1900

You don't want to lie on a mat where the thousand-legs can get you -- and if they get you, you die.

White Shadows in the South Seas Frederick O'Brien 1900

About twenty-five of them go by the general name of "thousand-legs" or millipedes, as each has from forty to fifty-five cylindrical rings in the body, and two pairs of legs to each ring.

A Book of Natural History Young Folks' Library Volume XIV. Various 1891

If we examine a thousand-legs or a wood-louse we see that here again the body is evidently composed of a series of rings or segments, to most of which jointed legs are attached.

The Common Frog 1874

The only animals which we saw on the sand at that time were spiders, which are to be found almost everywhere whether on snow or ice-water or sand, -- and a venomous-looking, long, narrow worm, one of the myriapods, or thousand-legs.

Cape Cod 1865

"thousand-legs" generally coils up and remains motionless, shamming death, or "playing possum," as it is popularly put, as a means of defence; while the centipede scampers hurriedly away and endeavors to hide beneath leaf, chip, or other object.

A Book of Natural History Young Folks' Library Volume XIV. Various 1891

"thousand-legs," deserve more than a passing notice.

A Book of Natural History Young Folks' Library Volume XIV. Various 1891