i 598 



Crratfttri) of Natural jgitftarg ; 



that they are particularly fond of the eggs 

 of spiders and insects. The larger species 

 of Scorpions, of whose malignity and venom 

 so much has been related, are five or six 

 inches long, but they are confined to tropical 

 climates ; those of the south of Europe are 

 very troublesome pests also ; but their sting, 

 though painful, is seldom productive of 

 serious mischief to man. The generality of 

 this tribe (Scorpio Europeans') have six eyes ; 

 but there are some of the most formidable 

 kind (Scorpio afer) which have eight. The 

 female pays great attention to her young ; 

 carrying them upon her back for several 

 days, at first not quitting her abode ; and 

 she afterwards takes care of them for the 

 space of a month, by which time they are 

 enabled to shift for themselves. Messrs Klug, 

 Ehrenberg, Koch, and Gervais have described 

 numerous new species of the family Scorpio- 

 nid<. 



SCORPION-FLY. (Ponorpa.) A winged 

 insect thus designated on account of the re- 

 markable conformation of the posterior ex- 

 tremity of the abdomen in the male, which is 

 turned up like a Scorpion's sting. The abdo- 

 men of the female is also prolonged into an 

 ovipositor ; by which she can deposit her eggs 

 in deep holes or crevices. The Scorpion-flies, 

 or Panorpicbe, are very active, and prey 

 upon other insects in the perfect state. 

 There are two beautiful species of this insect ; 

 the one has silvery wings, variegated with 

 three transverse streaks of black towards 

 the ends ; the head is black ; the breast, 

 shoulders, and feet are whitish; and the 

 rest of the body is black. The tail, which 

 represents a sting, has five joints, three red 

 and two black ; and the extremity of the 

 tail is forked and reverted. This insect may 

 be commonly seen frequenting our hedges 

 and woods. 



SCOTER. (Owfemia.) The Black Diver, 

 an aquatic bird about the size of the common 

 Duck j but the hind toe has a widish mem- 

 brane, and the beak is high at the base and 



BLACK SCOTER. (OIDEMIA NIQKA.) 



suddenly flattened ; while the body is more 

 round, and of a deep shining and beautiful 

 black colour. It is very common on the 



round, and of a deep shining and beautiful 



It is very 

 shores of Lancashire, and some other mari- 



time counties. There are at least four species 

 of Scoter-Ducks : the whole of these go to 

 the sea chiefly in quest of their food, and 

 one of them (0. perspicilkita) has acquired 

 its English name of Surf-Duck, from being 

 found for the most part on its edge. 



SCREAMER. (Palamedea.) A genus of 

 Wading Birds, natives of South America. 



The chief characteristics are, that the bill is 

 conical, the upper mandible being hooked ; 

 and the feet are cloven, having each four 

 toes. They are remarkable for their harsh 

 and discordant voices, and for the sharp 

 hard spurs with which the wings are armed 

 at the shoulder-joint. These are very effi- 

 cient weapons of defence, and enable the 

 birds to resist the attacks of the snakes 

 which infest the places they inhabit. One 

 species is also remarkable for having on the 

 top of the head a slender pointed horn, three 

 or four inches long, which curves gently 

 forwards, but the use of it does not appear 

 to be known. 



SCULPIN. (Cottus octockcimspi'iiosu*.) An 

 Acanthopterygious fish, of the genus Coitus, 

 found on the American coasts, and which 

 has often been confounded with the Euro- 

 pean Cottus scorpius: it is, however, quite 

 distinct from it, and considerably larger. 

 The Sculpin abounds on the coasts of the 

 United States, and is also plentiful at New- 

 foundland. Sir John Richardson says it is 

 a pity that Cuvier did not retain the original 

 specific name (Scorpius Virginianus) given 

 by Willoughby, who figured it correctly ; it 

 being preferable to octodecimspinosus, which 

 may lead to error, their being, in fact, twenty 

 spines on the head. Cottus scorpius has ex- 

 actly the same number, viz., ten on each 

 side. 



SCUTIBRANCHIATA. The name given 

 to an order of Molluscous animals, including 

 those Gasteropods which have the gills co- 

 vered with a shell in the form of a shield. 

 The Haliotis is a beautiful example [which 

 Bee]. 



SCYDM^ENUS: SCYDM^NID^E. A 

 genus and family of Coleoptera, belonging 

 to the Palpatores. They are generally of 

 very minute size, some of the species of 

 which are found, according to Mr. Double- 

 day, under planks placed upon hotbeds, 

 where they prey upon minute Thysanura, 

 carrying them about in their jaws. Others 



8OYDM.ENUS TARSATU8. 



are found under stones and among moss at 

 the roots of trees, and also in ants' nesta. 

 Our figure, copied from Mr. Sturm's cata- 

 logue, gives a highly magnified representa- 

 tion of a species of this interesting family ; 

 but the nature of this work precludes us 

 from entering either into generic or specific 

 characters. We must refer to the works of 



