The very large fpecies here reprefented is the great 

 African Scorpion, or Scorpio Afer of Linnseus. Its 

 general colour is a deep brown, nearly approaching in 

 fome fpecimens to black. It grows to a very large 

 fize ; fpecimens being fometimes feen which far exceed 

 in fize the figure here reprefented. Scorpions are vi- 

 viparous infe&s, and produce a very confiderable num- 

 ber of young at once; which are completely fhaped, 

 and undergo no farther change, except (perhaps) call- 

 ing their Ikin from time to time in the manner of fpi- 

 ders. Several fabulous anecdotes of thefe animals have 

 been recorded by the older writers on natural hiftory, 

 which are totally unworthy of being related in the pre- 

 fent enlightened age. One of the moft remarkable of 

 thefe legends is, that a Scorpion furrouncjed by live 

 coals, finding no method to efcape, grows defperate 

 from its fituation and flings itfelf to death. It is not 

 uncommon to hear this quoted with ferious credulity a3 

 the only inftance of fuicide amongft inferior animals. 



Fig. 2. The pectinated parts or combs. 



