Plinies Naturail Hiftcrie. 325 



^ unto thcni. They ftrike both fidelorig or byasjand alfo crooked and bending iipward^wkh their 

 taile.Thc poifon that commeth from themjis whitCjas Afolloderuiiiiih: who alfo hath fet down 

 nine forts of them, and diftinguifhed them by their colours^ which me thinkes j was but fuper- 

 fluous and more than needed; confidering that a man cannot khow by his difcourfc, which of 

 them he would have to beleaft hurtfull and noifom. Heaffirmethsthat feme have double ftings, 

 and that the males are more curft and cruell than the females : for he avoucheth, that they doe 

 engender togither, and that themal^smaybcknowneby this. That they are longandilender. 

 Moreover, that they be all ofthem Venomous about mid-day, when they beeenchaffedandfet 

 into an bcatjby the fcalding and fcortching funne : alfo when they be drie and thirftie5they can- 

 not drinke their full and quench their drought. This is well knownCj that thofe which havefeven 



B joints in their tailesjbe more fell than the reft : for it is ordinarie in them to have but fix . In Af- 

 fricke, this peftilent creature ufeth to fliealfo;, namely, when the Southerne winds blow, which 

 carrie them aloft iathe aire and bearethem up as they ftretch forth their amies like oares . the 

 fame ^^^j/W^r/^ before-named avoucheth plainly, that fomeofthem have very wings indcede 

 The people called Pfylli (who making againfulltrade and merchandife of it, to bring in hither 

 unto us the poifons of other countries, and by that meanes have filled Italic with forrein vena- 

 mous bcafts) have many times affaied to bring Ehembithers but never would they abide fomucfi 

 as the aire of Siciiiejnorlive inthattra^^t^Howbeit wefeeof them now and then in Italie, but 

 harmlefle they be all : like asin many other places befidesjand namely about Pharus in -^gypt, 

 la * Scythia they be fo daungcrous:^ that they kill their hogs ; which otherwifc becrcaturcs that , ^^^^^ 



iC can eat fuch poifons, and- yet live and doe full welL And if it be true that is faid,the black fwine die in Caria. 

 more Ipeedilyjelpecially if after they bcilun g, they goe into the water and drench, themfelves. 

 If a man bee ftung with a Scorpion and drinke the powder of them in wine, it is thought to be 

 prefent rcmedic. Men hold^thac nothing is more contrary unto them, than oile^if they be dipped 

 therein : as alfo to the Stelliones, which.are madp like Lizards, and doe no hurt to them onely, 

 becaufc they are without bloud. Like as the Scorpions alfo arefaid to be harmeleffe to any thing 

 that is bloudieflc. Some are of opinion, that the)dike\'vife dcvoure eliclr youngjfave onely one 

 who i^ more flic and craftie than the refl^ who gets upon the rumpe behind of thfemothcr^, and 

 therefits, being allured that he is fafe enough in that place,both from fling of taile and tooth 

 in moiith.This Scorpion revengerh the death of his other brethren and fibers : for in the end 



P he skips upon the backof father and mother both,where hegnavveth and eateth thcm todeath^i 

 To concludc/Scorp ions ufuaily doe breed eleven youn| Qpes at a . tioie, 



■Chap. XX vr^ 



pf^ of SteUionsand GrAjhcff^ers^ 



THe Stcllions after a fortbe of the nature of Ghams^lconsjliving onely upon dew and Spi-^ 

 ders. Grafhoppers alfo live iiuieh alter the fame manncr. And they be ot two foits - name- 

 ly, the kiler^ which eon^e firi'l:, and die laft ; but thofe be mutc.The lattcibreed jleidome ot 

 never flie: and thofe likew'le are of two kinds. Such asfingalowd, be named Echeto^ 5 and-chc 

 £ leller fort of them TettigonicX : but clibfe other are more fnrill,andchant full merrily. The male 

 Grafhoppers in both kindsjdoefing: the females are fiient. The people of the Halt countries 

 make their food of them: even the very Parthians, who otherwife abound in wealth. The hee 

 Gratlioppers are the fvveeter meat before the time ofengendring:andthe ilice Graflioppers 

 afterward, by re^fon of egs knotted within them, and thofe be white . They engender with their 

 bellies upward.They have a certain roughnefle upon their backs,which is very fliarpCjand thcr- 

 with thcy worke a hollow gutter in'the giound, as a neft to lay their egs and breed in . At,the 

 firft, appeareth a little worme or magot ; whereof commeth afterward that which they call.Tet- 

 tigometra,as one would fayj the modier of Grafhoppers, or the great grafhopper. For about 

 the Sunftead in Summer, the utmoft cruft or cafe thereof breaketh, and then out they flic, and 

 F alwaicsinthe night. Anhe firft, blackc they be and hard withall.Of allcreatures that are known 

 to live, the Grailioppers algnehave no mouth . -in ftead whereof, they have a certaine fharpe 

 pointed thing in their breaft(like unto their tongues that carrie flings in their mouths)and with 

 it they fucke and jicke in the dew.Their breaft is full of little pipes, from whence commeth that 

 ringing noiie oi; the Ecbeta; which we doe heare, as I have above faid. Moreover^ their bcUie is 



F f cmpti« 



