46o DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSEUM. 



to public view, we shall only oberve, that it con- 

 tains almost every known genus, and a great 

 number of very rare species. 



The class of the arachnides which comprehends 

 the genera aranea, scorpio, acarus, etc., is the first 

 in order. The two first frames contain different 

 species of scorpions, animals which in form re- 

 semble the crawfish. Their abdomen is termi- 

 nated by a long jointed tail, ending in a crooked 

 point or sting, through which the poison is 

 evacuated. The African scorpion (n i.) is the 

 largest of the tribe. The common Italian scor- 

 pion (n 05 10 and 1 9) will easily be recognized by 

 the inhabitants of the southern departments of 



France. 



The spiders, common to every part of the 



world, compose the next family, which being 

 very numerous is distributed into several ge- 

 nera, the characters of which are taken from 

 the disposition of the eyes. The fangs with 

 which the animal wounds its prey, and out of 

 which is evacuated a poisonous fluid, constitute 

 a part of the organs of mastication. They have 

 different habits according to the genus in which 

 they have been classed ; the skill with which the 

 greater number of them work their delicate and 

 regular webs, in the centre of which they place 

 themselves; the industry with which they con- 



