January 1, 1895.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



21 



severity of the symptoms depends a good deal on the 

 condition of the scorpion which inflicts the wound. Eeid 

 found that the venom of a small African species was 

 speedily exhausted. He caused pigeons to be stung in 

 rapid succession by the same scorpion. The first died 

 almost immediately, the second recovered after some time, 

 while the third was proof against a dozen stings. With 

 the larger tropical varieties, some of which attain a size of 

 nine or ten inches, he would probably have obtained very 

 different results. 



The venom appears to be without action when taken 

 internally, since mice, which succumb rapidly when stung, 

 wUl devour scorpions without being any the worse. This 

 is another point of resemblance between it and snake 

 poison. 



Since the scorpion feeds on small insects, it is natural to 

 find that on them the poison acts with great rapidity. A 

 cricket stung in the leg became paralyzed almost imme- 

 diately ; spiders died in a few minutes ; and a thelyphonui, 

 a species closely allied to the scorpion tribe, though not 

 venomous, succumbed in ten seconds. 



It is possible that a scorpion may be able by means of 

 its sting to destroy another less venomous species, but it 

 is highly improbable that it should be able to do the same 

 to one of its own kind, and there is no reliable evidence to 

 prove that such is the case. If it were so, it would be a 

 strong point in favour of those who have given accounts of 

 having seen the scorpion commit suicide. It has often 

 been asserted that when sun-ounded with a circle of 

 glowing charcoal, the insect runs all round endeavouring 

 to make its escape, and when unable to do so, deliberately 

 stings itself to death. Maupertuis tried the experiment, 

 but with a negative result. Later writers, however, are 

 very positive on the point. Surgeon- General Bidie'-' 

 describes how the rays of a burning-glass, concentrated on 

 the back of the scorpion, caused it to use its sting and die 

 immediately. Gilhuan ' gives similar affirmative evidence. 

 There appears, however, to be little doubt that these 

 gentlemen misinterpreted what they observed, and that 

 the scorpion must be acquitted of this one, at least, of the 

 charges brought against it. 



Prof. Bourne,^ who examined experimentally the evidence 

 on this question, came to the conclusion that although 

 the scorpion, when exposed to heat, often appears to use 

 its sting as a speedy method of ending its misery, in 

 reality it does not do so. His experiments show that 

 while it is physically capable of stinging itself, and though 

 there can be no doubt that in its writhing the sting often 

 does penetrate its back, yet there is no proof that the venom 

 ha^ any effect. He found that when he pierced the back 

 of a scorpion with its own sting or with that of another 

 insect, no ill effects followed ; and as corroborative evidence 

 he urges that when scorpions are fighting, though they 

 frequently sting one another, they do their actual killing 

 by pulling their opponents to pieces. In no instance did 

 he see one insect perish from the sting of another, the only 

 effect being to occasionally render it sluggish for a short 

 time. The real explanation of the so-called suicide is 

 that the scorpion is extremely sensitive to heat, and that 

 some observers have attributed to the venom an efiect 

 which is due to the heat alone. When exposed to a tem- 

 perature of over 50^ C. the scorpion runs about, lashing 

 itself with its tail, and in a few minutes becomes motionless. 

 The same thing happened when one was placed in a dish 

 exposed to the rays of an Indian sun, the insect becoming 

 torpid in from seven to ten minutes. That the venom 



* Salui-e, A'ol. XI. + Xafui-e, Vol. XX. 



I Proe. Soy. Soc, 1887. 



played no part in this result Bourne proved by experiments 

 in which the sting was removed, or prevented from being 

 used by being tied down, when the scorpion died as quickly 

 as before. 



These experiments appear so conclusive that the question 

 may be looked upon as definitely settled once for all. And, 

 as in many other cases, where poetry has borrowed similes 

 from natural science, which later knowledge has shown to 

 be false, these proofs of the insect's innocence of suicidal 

 inclination take the point from Lord Byron's simile, and 

 some other comparison must be found for a mind which 

 "broods o'er guilty woes " than that of "the Scorpion 

 girt by fire." 



THE FACE OF THE SKY FOR JANUARY. 



By Herbert Sadler, F.R.A.S. 



SOLAR spots and facute show a diminution both in 

 number and size. Conveniently observable minima 

 of Algol occur at lOh. 56m. p.m. on the 13th, 7h. 4.')m. 

 P.M. on the 16th, and 4h. 34m. p.m. on the 19th. 

 A maximum of the beautiful variable star o (Mira) 

 Ceti occurs on the lith. The magnitude at maximum is 

 somewhat variable ; in 1790 it was as bright as a first 

 magnitude, whUe in 1868 it did not exceed a fifth magni- 

 tude star. The interval from first visibility to the naked 

 eye to maximum is six weeks, and from maximum to in- 

 visibility to the naked ej'e about ten weeks. 



Mercury is invisible during the greater part of January, 

 being too near the Sun. On the 27th he sets at oh. 40m. 

 P.M., or about Ih. after the Sun, with a southern declina- 

 tion of 16° 85', and an apparent diameter of 5~", /^jths 

 of the disc bemg illuminated. On the 31st he sets at 

 6h. 4m. P.M., or Ih. 18m. after the Sun, with a 

 southern declination of 13° 54', and an apparent diameter 

 of 5j", Tyj^'lis of *'1'6 disc being illuminated. He is in 

 superior conjunction with the Sun on the 10th. While 

 visible he describes a direct path through a portion of 

 Capricornus to the confines of Aquarius, being near the 

 5^ magnitude star /x. Caprlcorui on the 30th. 



Venus is an evening star, but like Mercury, is too near 

 the Sun to be observed tLU the end of the month. On the 

 21st she sets at 5h. 31m. p.m., or Ih. 3m. after the Sun, 

 with a southern declination of 18° 6', and an apparent 

 diameter of 10-0", yVu^'is of ^^^ "iisc being illuminated. On 

 the 31st she sets at 6h. 4m. p.m., with a southern decUna- 

 tion of 14° 12', and an apparent diameter of lOJ", tVo'^'^ 

 of the disc being illuminated. WhUe visible she is near 

 Mercury, pursuing nearly the same path in the heavens. 



Mars is an evening star, but is rapidly dwindling in 

 apparent size and brightness. On the 1st he sets at 

 2h. 19m. A.M., southing at 7h. 8m. p.m., with a northern 

 declination of 12° 40', and an apparent diameter of 10|", 

 the phase on the n f hmb amomiting to 1-1". On the 

 11th he rises at llh. 26m. p.m., with a northern declination 

 of 14° 15', and an apparent diameter of 9f", his bright- 

 ness being about what it was at the beginning of June. 

 On the 21st he rises at lOh. 55m. a.m., with a northern 

 declination of 15° 52', and an apparent diameter of 8|". 

 On the 31st he rises at lOh. 26m. a.m., with a northern 

 declination of 17° 29', and an apparent diameter of 8" ; 

 the phase amounting to 0-9 ". During January he 

 describes a direct path in Aries. 



Jupiter is an evening star, and is admirably situated 

 for observation. He sets on the 1st at 7h. 84m. a.m., 

 or 34m. before sunrise, with a northern declination of 

 28° 15', and an apparent diameter of 46J". On the 12th 

 he sets at 6h. 45m. a.m., with a northern declination of 



