178 



children, who pluck out its pincers without ap- 

 prehension, which are by the common people be- 

 lieved to be a specific for the tooth-ache. 



Scorpions, called in the language of the coun- 

 try thehiianque (scorpio Chilensis) differ but 

 little or nothing in size or appearance from those 

 of Europe. They are usually met with in some 

 of the secondary mountains of the Andes. The 

 common colour is a dark brown, but those found 

 under stones upon the shores of the river Co- 

 quimbo are yellow.* It is said that neither of 

 them are venomous, and that those who are bitten 

 by them experience no inconvenience. I was 

 once present when a young man was bit by one 

 of them, who merely complained of a slight 

 smartinc: of the nart, which continued inflamed 

 for not more than half an hour. Such experi- 

 ments, however, are too superficial to prove 

 satisfactory. 



Sect. III. licjrtilcs. i have already observed, 

 that there arc but few reptiles in Chili ; and, in 

 truth, all that are known are water turtles, two 

 species of frogs, the land and water toad, a few 

 lizards of the aquatic and terrestrial kinds, and 

 one species of serpent ; nor arc either of these 

 venomous. 



* Tiie Europ'.'aii scorpions are yellow when young, and con- 

 tinue 30 while they remain under stoucs, but on expoiurc to 

 the :ur become brown. Fu Trans. 



