SCORPIONS. 195 



blackest -looking- scorpion any of us had ever 

 seen before; having secured it alive, we 

 brought it into the house and put it under a 

 bell-glass to observe it ; it must have been 

 six inches long, and had claws as large as 

 those of a small fresh- water cray-fish. 



The man awoke in a couple of hours quite 

 well, but rather weak from the violent per- 

 spiration, occasioned by the dose, and he then 

 said it was a large forest scorpion that had 

 stung him. 



That the scorpion can sting without turn- 

 ing the tail over the back may be inferred 

 from the following:— In saddling a horse in 

 Central America, two or three clothes or 

 skins, called " sudaderos," or sweaters, are 

 always placed under the saddle; but hearing 

 a shot in the forest, followed by a "hollo'' (a 

 sure sign of help being required), I threw 

 the sudaderos, saddle, and all at once upon a 

 horse tied up in front of the ranchos ; girted 

 him up, and bridled him, and jumping on 

 him, tried to gallop towards the spot where 

 assistance was required; but he would not 

 go on, and kept kicking and plunging like a 

 newly-backed colt. I was much surprised, 

 as he was my favourite lassoing horse, and 

 more so when he reared up, fell back with 



