LION'S FOOT, THE JEWEL WEEDS, AND OTHER AUTUMN PLANTS 



609 



arc shown in Figures 9 and II, the larger one, in either 

 cut, being the same specimen. Seven of the specimens re- 

 ceived by me were alive upon their arrival and in fine 

 condition. They were consigned to a large fish-globe, 

 wherein was placed a quantity of black earth, some small 

 pieces of pine-bark, fine grass, moss, and dead leaves, 

 with a shallow pool of clear water. Three of the largest 

 of these "scorpions" lived in this globe for over two 

 months, during which time I had ample opportunity to 

 study their habits under fairly natural conditions. As 

 there were various small insects in the material placed so 

 abundantly in the jar, it is quite likely that they fur- 

 nished food for my captives, as far as they would go. 

 As a rule, entomologists classify these remarkable forms 

 in an order, the Pedipalpida, the family being the Thely- 

 phonidae a group created to contain all the tailed 

 whip-scorpions known to science. Further than this it 

 will not be nec- 

 essary to enter 

 upon their re- 

 lationship. In 

 this country, 

 species of 

 whip - scorp- 

 ions range 

 from the At- 

 lantic States to 

 those of the 

 Pacific, but 

 only in the 

 tropical areas 

 of this region. 



It is not dif- 

 ficult to appre- 

 ciate why the 

 name whip- 

 scorpion was 

 bestowed upon 

 them, as they 

 support, at the 

 middle point 

 of the abdomen 

 behind, a long, 

 jointed, and 

 very slender 

 appendage 

 which certainly has a very tail-like appearance. This 

 "tail" they have the power of lashing about, and also 

 of holding erect in a rigid position. For this reason 

 it does not show well in the accompanying cuts, which 

 are from life by the writer, and taken when the speci- 

 mens were very excited and angry ; and when this is 

 the case, the tail is almost invariably held at right 

 angles to the body. 



As in the case of all spiders and scorpions, this rela- 

 tive of theirs possesses four pairs of legs, and a pair of 



formidable-looking pedipalps, each palpus being a six- 

 jointed appendage, the distal joint of which is a true 

 claw. With these claws a whip-scorpion captures and 

 crushes its prey, which, as stated above, consists of var- 

 ious kinds of insects. When angry, these palpi are 

 thrown widely apart, which gives this harmless creature 

 a very ferocious appearance, and doubtless is often re- 

 sponsible for saving its life. It also possesses the power 

 of curling these "claws" inwards, in such a manner as 

 to have them entirely out of the way when it desires to 

 run or otherwise move about. (See cuts.) As to the 

 other legs, the front pair is modified to become slender, 

 jointed ones, having the function of sensitive feelers, 

 while the three remaining pairs are in their nature en- 

 tirely locomotory. Note, too, that the thorax and 

 abdomen of these whip-scorpions are quite distinct, the 

 lungs, of which there are two pair, open on the hinder 



edge of the 

 second and 

 third segments 

 of the latter. ' 



When irri- 

 tated or dis- 

 turbed, one of 

 these "scorp- 

 ions" di s - 

 charges a min- 

 ute quantity of 

 invisible fluid 

 which possesses 

 a pungent odor, 

 and which at 

 once reminds 

 one of the scent 

 of v i n e g ar 

 hence it has re- 

 c e i v e d the 

 name of vine- 

 gerone. Local- 

 ly, in the South, 

 it is also known 

 by the name of 

 "G ramp us," 

 and it is great- 

 ly feared by 

 those who are 

 ignorant of its habits and structure the negroes standing 

 in particular dread of it. However, naturalists have long 

 known that it is not venomous, and does not even possess 

 a poison-gland of any description. Our single species 

 may attain a length of four or five inches, and is 

 now known as Mastigoproctus giganteus. Its nearest 

 relatives are the Micro-Whip-Scorpions (Microthely- 

 phonida), species of which have a caudal whip, quite 

 similar to the one possessed by their "gigantic" 

 relatives. 



X THE LAST ISSUE OF American Forcslrv (SEPTEMBER, 191K) AN ACCOUNT WAS GIVEN 

 OF SOLOMON'S SEAL. IN IT THE BERRIES WERE REFERRED TO BUT NOT FIGURED. 

 HERE THEY ARE, AS WELL AS A PART OF THE ROOTSTOCK. 



Fig. 12 In rare instances, the first of the series of hemes or fruit on the stem of this plant may be in 

 threes instead of in pairs; the former arrangement is here shown in the first two groups, and when ripe 

 they are blue or black. Polygonatum biflorum belongs to the Lily family. 



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