HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



§5 



Upon the fea coafts, particularly in thofe years when 

 there is little rain. But, unlefs by fome poor people, 

 this filk is not turned to any ufe, partly from inatten- 

 tion to their interefts, but chiefly from the obftru£tions 

 which would be certainly thrown in the way of any one 

 who fliould attempt a trade of that kind. We know 

 from Cortes's letters to Charles Vth, that filk ufed to 

 be fold in the markets of Mexico ; and fome pictures are 

 flill preferved, done by the ancient Mexicans upon a pa- 

 per made of flik. 



The Scolopendras are fometimes feen in the tempe- 

 rate parts, but more frequently in the warm and moift. 

 Hernandez fays, that he has feen fome of them of the 

 length of two feet, and two inches thick : but fuch 

 monftrous infe<^s can only have been feen in the wettefl 

 and moft uncultivated place ; for we who have been in 

 a great many places, through every variety of climate, 

 never met with any one of fuch extraordinary fize. 



Scorpions are common throughout the whole king- 

 dom, but in the cold and temperate countries they are 

 not numerous, nor very hurtful. They abound in the 

 hot parts, or where the air is very dry although the 

 heat is but moderate ; and their poifon is fo adlive as to 

 kill children, and occafion terrible pain to adults. It 

 has been remarked, that the poifon of the fmall, yel- 

 lowifli fcorpion is more powerful than that of the large 

 brown one, and that their fling is the moft dangerous 

 during thofe hours of the day when the fun gives moft 

 heat. 



Among the great variety of fpiders, we cannot pafs 

 over the Tarantola and Cafampulga (e). The name of 



Tarantola 



(e) I fufpedl that the original name of this fpider has been Caza/)ulga or fiea- 

 killer, corrupted in a manner common to the vulgar, into Cafampulga. 



