276 



Marvels of the Universe 



Phnio bu} [/>. //. Frihre. 



THE FINISHING STROKE. 



If its victim struggles the Scorpion curls its tail over its 

 back and pricUs its prey once or twice to quiet it. 



for several daj-s. Strangelj' enough, though an 

 insect such as a moth or a beetle very quickly dies 

 after being stung, their grubs seem to be quite 

 immune, and even after their soft bodies have 

 been pricked many times they appear quite un- 

 affected by the poison, and in due time produce 

 the perfect insect as though nothing had happened. 

 A beetle reared from such a larva was stung 

 to see whether it would now be immune, but it 

 succumbed as rapidly as one that had never been 

 inoculated. Unfortunately these experiments were 

 not extended to a human subject, but from other 

 less exact reports it would appear that, while the 

 sting of a Scorpion has been known occasionally 

 to prove fatal, it does so probably only when the 

 blood of the patient is very much out of order. 



The love affairs of the Scorpion are most en- 

 tertaining. A male Scorpion out for a walk one 

 warm evening in April or May meets a ladj?, usually somewhat larger than himself. The two stand 

 face to face with claws extended ; and, resting the fore part of the bodj^ firmly on the ground, each 

 raises the hinder part, as if trying to stand on its head, until their tails cross, when they rub them 

 affectionately one against the other and hook the tips round one another. This performance is 

 apparently the usual greeting in polite Scorpion society, though in the case of a young couple 

 thinking of matrimon}' the actions are more ceremonious and partake of the nature of a caress. 

 If the lady be agreeable, he seizes her two hands, one in each of his, and walking backwards, 



draws her gently after him. They 

 may perambulate in this manner for 

 some hours, but eventually he finds 

 some crevice under a stone that he 

 considers suitable, enlarges it by 

 scratching up the earth with his feet 

 and sweeping it out with his tail, all 

 the time maintaining his hold of the 

 lady, and finally pulls her in after him. 

 If she is satisfied, well and good, but if 

 not they come out and wander round 

 to find another home. Sometimes 

 during their perambulations a bigger 

 male than the first will put in a claim 

 to the lady : they do not, as might be 

 expected, engage in mortal combat, 

 but each takes hold of one arm and 

 pulls until one obtains the advantage, 

 when the vanquished abandons the 

 lady, and sets off to find another. 

 When, however, the course of true 

 love I'uns as it should, the happy 

 couple at last find a house to suit 

 them and take shelter there late that 



I'linio 4;;] 



MOTHER AND FAMILY'. 



The young Scorpions are about one-third of an 



[P. //. f(ilji-e. 



leave the egg. They climb upon the 

 together there without food for a week. 



back of the 



ch lo 

 notnc 



: \vlien they 

 and crowd 



