THE LANGUEDOCIAN SCORPION ' 253 



tip of the tail, measures nine millimetres 1 in the Langue- 

 docian Scorpion and four 2 in the Black. As the liberating 

 toilet is completed, they climb, first one and then the 

 other, on the maternal spine, hoisting themselves, with- 

 out excessive haste, along the claws, which the Scorpion 

 keeps flat on the ground, in order to facilitate the ascent. 

 Close-grouped one against the other, entangled at random, 

 they form a continuous cloth on the mother's back. 

 With the aid of their little claws, they are pretty firmly 

 settled. One finds some difficulty in sweeping them away 

 with the point of a hair pencil without more or less hurting 

 the feeble creatures. In this state, neither steed nor 

 burden budges : it is the fit moment for experimenting. 



The Scorpion, clad in her young assembled to form a 

 white muslin mantlet, is a spectacle worthy of attention. 

 She remains motionless, with her tail curled on high. If 

 I bring a rush of straw too near the family, she at once 

 lifts her two claws in an angry attitude, rarely adopted 

 in her own defence. The two fists are raised in a sparring 

 posture, the nippers open wide, ready to thrust and parry. 

 The tail is seldom brandished : to loosen it suddenly 

 would give a shock to the spine and perhaps make a part 

 of the burden fall to the ground. The bold, sudden, 

 imposing menace of the fists suffices. 



My curiosity takes no notice of it. I push off one of the 

 little ones and place it facing its mother, at a finger's 

 breadth away. The mother does not seem to trouble 

 about the accident : motionless she was, motionless she 

 remains. Why excite herself about that slip ? The 

 fallen child will be quite able to manage for itself. It 

 gesticulates, it moves about ; and then, finding one of 



1 -35 inch. Translator's Note. 



2 "15 inch. Translator's Note. 



