172 General Notes. [February 
ZOOLOGY, 
ANTIDOTE TO THE ScorRPION’s Stinc.—Already an antidote has 
been discovered to the sting of scorpions, which, although rarely 
fatal, is extremely painful, while the poison is closely allied to that 
of the venomous snakes. Mr. A. M. Markham, of the Indian Civil 
Service, has written to one of the Indian papers calling attention 
to the fact that the root of? Achyranthes aspera, known popularly 
as chirchirra, affords almost instantaneous relief from the pain 
caused by the sting of a scorpion. The plant is very common 
everywhere in India, and is one of those whose clinging burrs 
are such a nuisance on one’s legs when out shooting. The root, 
macerated in water, is applied to the part stung, and a small quan- 
tity is drunk in water. If this be done quickly, there is absolutely 
no pain half an hour or so after the sting, instead of the twelve 
to twenty-four hours of intense suffering which follow an untreat- 
ed sting —London Standard. 
THE CRUSTACEA OF THE BLack Sza.—Mr. Waldemar Czerniaw- 
sky, already known for his works on the fauna of the Black sea, 
has now published at Charkoff, a work on the “Crustacea deca- 
poda Pontica littoralia,” accompanied by several plates, being a 
very elaborate description of the Black Sea Decapods. The num- 
ber of Pontic species of Decapods has been increased by twenty, 
reaching thus forty-eight species, with numerous varieties, though 
it will probably be greater when the depths of the Black sea have 
been better explored. The results of this work are numerous and 
interesting. The species offer altogether a very great variety of 
o he Black sea contains the local forms of Mediterranean 
varieties, while in the Celtic region are found the local forms of 
other varieties. The author asserts that the metamorphosis of the 
superior crabs, such as Carcinus, which presents nine different 
stages, are a repetition of their genealogy, and arrives at a series of 
very interesting conclusions as to the genealogy of different spe- 
cies. All three species of Astacus which are found in the Ponto- 
sometimes adding minor details to the description), which are in 
Russian.—NVature, March 5, 1885. 
