POPULAR MISCELLANY. 



569 



no reason for his belief, and showed himself 

 not more but less reasonable than his com- 

 panions. The crude theories and gross ab- 

 surdities of phrenology are not in the least 

 justified or excused by the present knowl- 

 edge of cerebral localization; nor do the 

 baseless speculations of Lamarck or Erasmus 

 Darwin entitle them to be regarded as the 

 forerunners of Erasmus Darwin's illustrious 

 grandson. Up to 1859 impartial and com- 

 petent men were bound to disbelieve in evo- 

 lution ; after that date, or at least so soon 

 as the facts and arguments of Darwin and 

 Wallace had been published, they were 

 equally bound to believe in it. He discovers 

 who proves, and by this test Harvey is the 

 sole and absolute discoverer of the move- 

 ments of the heart and of the blood." 



Habits of Scorpions. A study is con- 

 tributed to Nature by Mr. R. J. Pocock, of 

 the habits of living scorpions. They were 

 made upon the two species Parabuthus capen- 

 sis and Suscorpius carpatkicus. The speci- 

 mens were evidently nocturnal, spending the 

 daytime huddled together in the corners of 

 their box, or under pieces of wood, and wan- 

 dering about at night. " It was easy, how- 

 ever, at any time during the day to rouse 

 them from their sluggishness by applying a 

 little artificial warmth to the box." If the 

 warmth was very moderate, they would seek 

 it and bask in it ; but as it increased, even 

 while the author could bear it for several 

 minutes without inconvenience upon his 

 hand, " they were at once in a state of con- 

 sternation." While walking, both species 

 carried their pincers well in advance of the 

 head, where they served as feelers. Eu- 

 scorpius dragged its tail along the ground ; 

 Parabuthtis carried his, curled in a vertical 

 plane, over the hinder part of the back. All 

 scorpions appear to be carnivorous, and to 

 live principally on insects or other articu- 

 lated animals, but the species differ con- 

 siderably in their choice of food from the 

 variety offered them. " As soon as a cock- 

 roach is seized the use of the scorpion's 

 tail is seen ; for this organ is brought rap- 

 idly over the latter's back, and the point of 

 the sting is thrust into the insect. The poi- 

 son instilled into the wound thus made, al- 

 thougb not causing immediate death, has 

 a paralyzing effect upon the muscles, and 



quickly deprives the insect of struggling 

 powers, and consequently of all chance of 

 escape. If the insect, however, is a small 

 one one, in fact, that can be easily held in 

 the pincers, and eaten without trouble while 

 alive a scorpion does not always waste poi- 

 son upon it." The only one of the higher 

 senses that seems to be highly developed is 

 that of touch. M. L. Becker says that that 

 sense and hearing are excessively developed, 

 but Mr. Pocock finds no evidence of audi- 

 tory organs, and the sight very poor. The 

 external organs of touch are the hairs that 

 thickly or sparingly cover various parts of 

 the body ; and the pectine or ventral combs 

 appear to play an important part in this 

 office. The stinging by a scorpion is not a 

 random thrust, delivered indiscriminately at 

 any part of a captured insect. The scorpion 

 " generally feels carefully for a soft spot, 

 and then with an air of great deliberation 

 delicately inserts its sting into it. There 

 can be little doubt that this care is taken 

 that there may be no risk of damaging the 

 point of the sting against a substance too 

 hard for it. ... The same care of the sting 

 is shown in the carriage of the tail, this 

 organ being curled in such a way that the 

 point can not come in contact with any for- 

 eign bodies. Even when turned with a piece 

 of stick, or irritated by being crawled upon 

 by a cockroach, a scorpion is not often suffi- 

 ciently provoked to use its sting. The tail 

 is certainly used to knock aside the instru- 

 ment or sweep off the insect, but the sides 

 or lower surface of the organ are employed, 

 the vesicle being carefully tucked down." 

 The author did not find his scorpions so pug- 

 nacious as they are generally said to be, and 

 he doubts if they ever deliberately commit 

 suicide, though they may do so accidentally, 

 or in desperation. 



The Illne Mountains of Jamaica. The 



first object that greets the eye of the voy- 

 ager, as he nears the shores of Jamaica, 

 says Commissioner Charles A. Ward, in 

 his account of the island prepared for the 

 Chicago Exposition, is the mass of dark blue 

 mountain looming upon the horizon ; and as 

 he draws nearer and nearer, though peak 

 and ridge assume clearer and more distinct 

 shapes, each still retains the tint of deep 

 azure that gives its name to the chain. 



