THE LANGUEDOCIAN SCORPION 257 



selves to the back of the Scorpion, especially near the 

 basal segments of the legs, and there tangle themselves 

 into a soft carpet on which the lately-flayed insects 

 rest. The steed now carries a saddle-cloth well-adapted 

 to hold her restless riders in position. Whether these 

 have to alight or to remount, the layer of tatters, now 

 become a solid harness, affords supports for rapid evolu- 

 tions. 



When I topple over the family with a slight stroke of 

 the camel-hair pencil, it is amusing to see how quickly 

 the unhorsed ones resume their seat in the saddle. The 

 fringes of the housings are grasped, the tail is used as 

 a lever and, with a bound, the horseman is in his place. 

 This curious carpet, a real boarding-netting which allows 

 of easy scaling, lasts, without dislocations, for nearly a 

 week, that is to say, until the emancipation. Then it 

 comes off of its own accord, either as a whole or piecemeal, 

 and nothing remains of it when the young are scattered 

 around. 



Meantime, signs of the colouring appear ; the tail and 

 belly are tinged with saffron, the claws assume the soft 

 brilliancy of transparent amber. Youth beautifies all 

 things. The little Languedocian Scorpions are really 

 splendid. If they remained thus, if they did not carry a 

 poison-still, soon to become threatening, they would be 

 pretty creatures which one would find a pleasure in 

 rearing. Soon the wish for emancipation awakens in 

 them. They gladly descend from the mother's back to 

 frolic merrily in the neighbourhood. If they stray too 

 far, the mother cautions them and brings them back 

 again by sweeping the rake of her arms over the sand. 



At dozing-time, the sight furnished by the Scorpioness 

 is almost as good as that of the hen and her chicks resting. 



33 



