THE SCORPION. 65 



in every crevice ; and it not unfrequently happens that when a 

 pedestrian is passing over a sandy bank, and happens to break 

 away a portion of it with his feet, a great black scorpion comes 

 tumbUng down, rolHng over and over among the sandy ava- 

 lanche, disengaging itself with an angry snap of its claws and a 

 savage whisk of its tail, and showing fight as if it expected im- 

 mediate attack from some present enemy. In such cases, the 

 Scorpion has been a true burrower, excavating a temporary 

 dwelling in the sandy soil, and living therein during the day. 



The burrows of the Scorpion can always be detected by the 

 peculiar shape of the entrance, which is of a semilunar form, 

 exactly fitting the outline of the animal which digs it. The 

 shape of the aperture is not unlike that of the hole which is 

 cut in the seats of wooden stools for the purpose of introducing 

 the hand when they are lifted. Wherever the soil is suitable for 

 their purpose, the Scorpions take every advantage of it, so that 

 a great number of these venomous creatures may be found in a 

 comparatively small space of ground. Captain Pasley, R.A., 

 tells me that, while in India, he has often destroyed, in the 

 space of an hour or so, more than forty Scorpions, which had 

 dug their sandy burrows in his garden. 



The semilunar shape of the entrance is an infalhble indication 

 of the inhabitant, and in order to find out whether the Scor- 

 pion is at home, a jug full of water is poured into the burrow. 

 Scorpions detest water, and when they feel the stream pouring 

 upon them, they issue from their holes in high dudgeon, their 

 pincers preceding them and snapping wildly at the enemy. A 

 fork or spade is then driven under the Scoi-pion, and its retreat 

 being thus cut off, it is easily killed. 



The same officer also mentioned, that he had repeatedly tried 

 the experiment of surrounding the Scorpion with a ring of fire, 

 and that it had invariably stung itself to death. The fiery circle 

 was about fifteen inches in diameter, and composed of smoulder- 

 ing ashes. In every instance the Scorpion ran about for some 

 minutes, trying to escape, and then deliberately bent its tail 

 over its back, inserted the point of its sting between two of the 

 segments of the body and speedily died, This experiment was 



