SUICIDE OF SCORPIONS. 
29 
otlier five legs, dragging the stung leg behind it, or often 
holding it straight up in the air. If these stung individuals 
are kept, they usually after a time drop the stung leg alto- 
gether, and appear perfectly well afterwards. 
The scorpion's sting appears to have a similar but more 
rapid effect upon spiders. 
I have also been able to procure one Galeodes and two 
Thelyphonus, both very near allies of the scorpion, and they 
all succumbed almost instantaneously ; death occurred within 
a few seconds. 
These series of experiments show that the scorpion is 
immune from its own poison, but that insects generally and 
other Arachnida are very sensitive to it. 
Two questions now presented themselves. The scorpion 
is undoubtedly a cannibal, how does it kill its prey ? Further, 
how can we explain the statements that scorpions do commit 
suicide ? 
Series D. — On several occasions I watched two scorpions 
fighting. They face one another, and each tries to get his 
chelae outside the other's chelae and so hold him a prisoner ; 
then they sting one another repeatedly ; but the stinging 
seems to have no effect, and if the scorpions are at all equally 
matched this may go on for a long time. I watched one pair 
fighting on and off for a couple of days, but at last one over- 
powers the other, and holding him by the chelae uses his 
cheKcercE to actually tear out those of his opponent ; this he 
eventually succeeds in doing, and as soon as he makes a wound 
proceeds to suck the juices. The victim succumbs to main 
force and not to any poisoning. 
SmVs E. — It is always difficult to account for the manner 
in which mistakes may arise. Any statement that a scorpion 
ever committed suicide by stinging himself to death I cannot 
but believe to be a mistake. I think that I am however able 
to explain Dr. Bidie's observations, which are perhaps the 
best authenticated of all the alleged cases of suicide and are 
