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ing this animal, are exhibited at length in the natural history '■ 

 of Pliny. Tlie ancients, however, did observe that it coupled, 

 was viviparous ; that its sting was pierced, so as to give 

 passage to the poison, and that this poison was white. They 

 further remarked, that the females carded their young; but 

 they supposed that there vvas but one to each mother ; that this 

 had escaped by stratagem from the general slaughter which she 

 had made of her posterity, and that it finally revenged its 

 brethren, by devouring the author of its life. According to 

 others, the mother became the prey of her own family ; but at 

 all events the voracity of these animals was fully recognized. 

 AVe cannot rank among the number of these fables the exist- 

 ence of scorpions, since there are specimens of such to be 

 found. It is likewise possible that individuals may have been 

 found whose tail was composed of seven knots instead of six, 

 which is the common number. It is probable that the viinged 

 scorpions, which excited astonishment from their size, such as 

 those which Megasthenes informs us were to be found in India, 

 are orthoptera of the genus Phas)na or spectrum, or hemiptera 

 of that of nepa of Linnaeus. Indeed, the name of aquatic 

 scorpion has been given to an insect of the latter genus, ex- 

 tremely different from the arachnida so designated. Pliny 

 informs us that the Psylli endeavoured to naturalize in Italy 

 the scorpions of Africa, but that their attempts proved wholly 

 unsuccessful. He distinguished, on the authority of Appollo- 

 dorus, nine species. Nicander, who reckons one less, gives 

 some particular details on the subject, but guided by views 

 purely medical. It is from modern writers, and more espe- 

 cially from Dr. Maccary, that we must look to obtain more 

 certain information respecting the habits of these curious 

 animals. The scorpions live on the ground, concealing them- 

 selves under stones, most frequently in ruined buildings, in 

 sombre and humid situations, and even sometimes in the in- 

 terior of houses ; they have even been found in beds. They 



