THE SCORPION. 815

claws, and sending her poisoned fangs into its body, will
see the force and truth of the prophet’s simile, and will be
interested in noticing the same facts in nature which were
presented to the eye of the wise men of old, who did not
disdain to mark and record the habits even of the poor
spider, and still more diminutive ant.

The more formidable Scorpion is of the same class as the
spider, but of the order Pedipalpa of Latreille, and family
Scorpionide. The body is terminated by an elongated tail,
armed with an acute and curved sting, capable of inflicting
most painful, and often deadly, wounds. The legs and eyes
are eight in number, as are the breathing pores, four on
each side; the palpi are greatly developed, forming instru-
ments of prehension, and terminated by a large claw; the
body is furnished with comb-like appendages on the under
side, the use of which has not been ascertained. The young
scorpions are born alive, and vary in a brood from twenty
to double that number; the mother carries them about on
her back for several days, seldom quitting her retreat; in
the course of a month they are able to take care of them-
selves. They shed their skins annually.

The scorpion is chiefly an inhabitant of tropical countries,
living in sandy districts, and concealing itself under stones,