SCORPIO N- FL Y SCUTELLARI A. 



631 



several experiments on this species, found it by no 

 means so invariably dangerous as had til! then been 

 represented. He provoked one of them to sting a 

 dog iu three places of the belly, and in about an hour 

 afterwards the poor animal was greatly swollen, and 

 became very sick. Afterwards it fell into convul- 

 sions, bit the ground, dragged itself along on its fore 

 feet, and at last died, five hours after being stung. 

 It was not partially swollen round the place which 

 was wounded, as is usual after the sting of a wasp ; 

 but the whole body was sufflated, and there appeared 

 only a red spot on the places where it had been 

 stung. The experiment was, however, repeated upon 

 another dog, even with aggravated cruelty, yet the 

 dog seemed in no way affected, howling only a little 

 when stung, and without showing the smallest symptom 

 of pain. The same experiment was also tried by fresh 

 scorpions upon seven other dogs and three hens, 

 but not the smallest deadly symptom was seen to 

 ensue. Hence it is evident, that although, in the 

 majority of cases, the sting of this insect may not be 

 greater than that of a wasp or hornet, yet, in certain 

 cases, and under certain unknown circumstances, 

 either connected with the state of the animal stung, or 

 of the scorpion itself, a far greater efficiency is given 

 to the sting. 



The scorpions of tropical climates being much 

 larger than the former, are probably much more 

 venomous. Helbegius, however, who resided many 

 years in the East, asserts that he was often stung by 

 the scorpion, and never received any material injury 

 from the wound ; a painful tumour, however, generally 

 ensuing. Seba, Moore, and Bosnian, however, state 

 that, unless speedily relieved, the wound becomes 

 fatal. The Scorpio occitanus of Latreille, found in 

 the south of Europe, Barbary, &c., has been experi- 

 mented upon by Dr. Maccari, who allowed it to 

 sting himself, and which produced alarming and 

 painful symptoms. Moreover, the venom appears to 

 be more active in proportion to the increased age of 

 the animal. Volatile alkali, applied both internally 

 and externally, is employed as a serviceable remedy. 

 The Persians use, for curing the sting of the Scorpio 

 australis, Limutus, which they call Agrab, and the 

 Indians Gargonali, scarification and quicklime ; others 

 make use of oil, in which several of these creatures 

 have been steeped ; and others bruise the scorpion, 

 and apply it to the wound. 



It has been a vulgar notion^that a scorpion 

 enclosed in a circular space by burning charcoal, 

 would sting itself to death. Maupertuis, however, 

 and, more recently, M. Guerin, have combated this 

 idea, observing, that in such cases the scorpion only 

 runs about in a very unquiet state, and is at last 

 killed by the heat. The Count de Senneville is, 

 however, stated by Latreille to have made the same 

 experiment in the presence of a great number of 

 persons, and the result has always been the death of 

 the scorpion, produced by stinging itself. It is certain 

 that their stings are sufficient to destroy their com- 

 panions ; for Maupertuis confined about a hundred 

 of them in the same glass, and they soon came into 

 contact with one another. When they began to 

 exert all their rage in mutual destruction, there was 

 nothing to be seen but universal carnage, so that in a 

 few days there only remained fourteen, which had 

 killed and devoured all the rest ; and on certain 

 occasions their malignity is extended even to their 

 offspring. The female brings forth her young alive, 



and of the same form as herself, varying in numbers 

 from twenty to forty ; and Maupertuis states, that 

 having enclosed a female in a glass vessel, she was 

 seen to devour her young as fast as they were 

 excluded, one only escaping by taking refuge upon 

 the back of its parent ; and this soon after revenged 

 the death of its brethren, by killing the old one in its 

 turn. Ordinarily, however, the female is much more 

 solicitous concerning her offspring, bearing them about 

 for several days upfcn her back, seldom quitting her 

 retreat, and tending them for the space of a month, 

 by which time they are sufficiently strong to take 

 care of themselves. They shed their skins annually, 

 and are not enabled to reproduce their species until 

 they are two years old. 



The species of this family are numerous. Herbst 

 has published a good monograph of them, with 

 coloured figures. Dr. Leach has divided them into 

 two genera ; Scorpio, having only six eyes, of which 

 the Scorpio Europans is the type ; and Buthus, 

 having eight eyes, of which the scorpion of Mauper- 

 tuis (Scorp. occitanus of Amoreux) is the type. The 

 former species does not exceed an inch in length, is 

 of a black brown colour, the legs being fulvous, and 

 the combs having nine teeth. 



SCORPION-FLY. See PANORPA. 



SCORPION (Water). See NEPA. 



SCORPIURUS (Linnaeus). A curious genus of 

 annuals, bearing diadelphous flowers, and belonging 

 to LeguminoscB. They are cultivated for the gro- 

 tesque shape of their pods, which bear a strong 

 resemblance to caterpillars. 



SCORZONERA. A genus of perennial herbs, 

 known in English lists by the name of viper's-grass. 

 They bear composite flowers, and one of the species, 

 S. hispanica, is cultivated for its roots, which are con- 

 sidered a dainty. 



SCROPHULARIN^E. A rather extensive na- 

 tural order, containing fifty-nine genera, and above 

 five hundred and fifty species. A great part of Lin- 

 nous's Didynamia angiosperma is found in this order ; 

 capsular fruit and didynamous stamens being among 

 the most obvious characteristics of the order. The 

 genera are herbaceous (rarely shrubby) plants 

 with round or square stems ; the leaves are simple 

 and without stipules, sitting, or with footstalks, and 

 sometimes decurrent; in situation opposite or whorled, 

 seldom alternate. 



The enflorescence is variable, axillary or united, 

 usually spicate, racemose, or in panicles ; the calyx 

 is free and persistent ; the corolla hypogynous, often 

 bilabiate, personate, and deciduous ; the stamens 

 are definite ( two to four ), didynamous, rarely 

 equal, exserted from the tube of the corolla ; the fila- 

 ments are free, and the anthers two-celled ; the 

 germen is formed of two carpels, the style one, and 

 the stigma obtuse. The fruit is capsular and dehis- 

 cent, two-celled, and from two to four valved. This 

 order is divided into two sections ; the first includes 

 those genera which have four anther-bearing stamens, 

 and the second those genera which have only two 

 anther-bearing stamens. 



SCURVY-GRASS is the Cochlcaria afficinalis of 

 Linnaeus, a medical plant found wild on the sea-shores 

 of Britain, and belonging to Cruciferce. 



SCUTELLARI A (Linnaeus). A pretty extensive 

 genus of herbaceous perennials, natives of many dif- 

 ferent parts of the world. They belong to the first 

 order of Didynamia, and to the natural order Labiate. 



