OF THE SCORPION. 



J. HE Diredors of the Eall India Company in Delft, having fent 

 to me a Hving Indian Scorpion, I put it into a long and wide 

 glafs tube, flopped at tlie ends with cork, though not quite clofe ; 

 and I pre fumed that, on account of the coldnefs of the glafs, the 

 Scorpion would place itfelf on the cork, and fo be preferved 

 longer alive : and I occafionally put it into a thinner glafs tube, 

 in order, as far as I was able, to examine it by the microfcope. 



I firft made my obfervations on its legs, the fifth joint of which, 

 from the bodv, being very tranfparent, I there plainly perceived 

 the blood running in an artery towards the extremity of the foot ; 

 wliich artery, 1 judged to be the fize of an hair of ones head 

 and clofe bcfide it, tlie blood was returning in a vein of the fame 

 thicknefs. Thefe two veflels I deemed to be the principal blood- 

 veflels in that limb, and, though I was well aflured, that there were 

 many fmall branches through which the blood was conveyed out 

 of the artery into the vein, and thus the circulation was com- 

 pleated, yet I could not get a fight of thofe minute veflels. 



The blood of this creature not being of a red colour, it may be 

 ranked among tliofe animals, which the antients named exfangues, 

 orbloodlcfs. 



I faw that this Scorpion had t^^•o black eyes ; placed, not at the 

 extremity of the head, as we obferve in many fmall animals, by 

 which they difcover obje6ls on both fides of them ; but thefe two 

 eyes flood about tlie eighth part of an inch to\Nards the buck 



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