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able infect of the Scolopendra kind found In the 
Irifh Teas, and appearing to be fynonymous with 
the vermis aureus, or erucae marinas fpecies rarior 
of Oligerus Jacobseus, 
PeyflTonel defcribes afmall marine Scolopendra, 
of a fquare figure, whofe body and head were 
compofed of eighty rings, and which poflefled the 
fingular faculty of occafionally ejefling it's inte- 
ftines. The four fides of this infeft were armed 
with prickles, of which every ring had four fafci- 
culij and thefe were fometimes fpread out like a 
fan. 
Thefe infe£ls, when placed on the fingers, 
thruft avail number of their prickles into the fkin, 
and excite a lharp kind of pain, fimilar to that 
occafioned by fire. 
SCOLOPENDRA SCUTATA. An animal 
of the infeft kind, about one inch and a half long, 
and fomewhat lefs than an inch broad; refem- 
bling, in many of it's parts, the Molucca crab, 
fometimes called the bucklei*crab. When the 
back is examined, it is found to be covered with 
a cafe or fhield, remarkably gibbous or promi- 
nent, along the middle, with a triangular open- 
ing in the Ihell near the tail. On the head 
there are two Ihort horns, (landing in the com- 
mon place of the antennae. When the cafe or 
Iliell is removed, the rings on the body are dif- 
covered to be about thirty in number. There 
are forty-two legs on each fide; the firft twenty 
being nearly of the fame fize, and the reft gradu- 
ally diminilhing. Each of the feet contains five 
membranaceous claws: thefe are flat, with a ftiff" 
rib in the middle; and are befet in that part with 
Jiairs, like the legs of a crab. The whole ftruc- 
ture of the legs feems to be better adapted for 
fwimming than walking. 
This fpecies was firft obfervcd by Klein, in 
thofe places of PrufTia where cray-fifti are caught. 
It has likewife been found in Kent; where a pond 
that was dry at Midfummer, having been filled 
by means of a heavy thunder-fliowcr, was covered 
in a few days with thefe infefts, notwithftanding 
there appeared no vifible means by which they 
were or could be produced. 
SCOMBER. In the Linnaean fyftem, a di- 
ftinft genus of the thoracic order of fifties: the 
charadlers of which are; that the head is com- 
prefted; and that there are feven branchioftegous 
rays, and feveral fmall fins between the dorfal fin 
and the tail. The fpecies of this genus are, the 
Scomber, or mackerel; the pelamys, thynnus, 
cordyla, glaucus, trachurus, hippos, chryfurus, 
amia, and pelagicus. 
According to Artedi, the characters of this ge- 
nus are: the branchioftege membrane on each 
fide contains feven flender bones, the upper one 
of which is nearly hid by the coverings of the 
gills; the tail is very forked, and ftiaped like a 
crefcent; there are one or more eminences on 
each ilde towards the tail ; the fins are either only 
two on the back, or, exclufive of thefe, feveral 
fnall and ftiort ones running as far as the tail, 
on the under as well as the upper part of the 
body; and the appendices to the pylorus are very 
numerous. The fpecies of this genus are four; 
the common mackerel, the tunny-fifti, the horfe- 
rnackerel, and the glaucus primus of Willughby 
and Rondeletius. 
SCORPIOIDES. A fifti of the gottorugine 
kind, but diftrring in colour, being of a faint 
green, variegated with black fpots; and either 
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wanting the eye-fins entirely, or having them ex- 
tremely minute. See Gottorugine. 
SCORPION . A genus of reptiles of the or- 
der of aptera: the charafters of which are; that 
there are eight legs, and a pair of claws at the 
head ; eight eyes, three on each fide of the thorax, 
and two in the back; two claw-like feelers; a 
long jointed tail, terminated by a bent, pointed 
weapon ; and tv^o pe(5lines or combs between the 
breaft and abdomen. Linnaeus enumerates fix 
fpecies. 
The Scorpion is one of the largeft of the reptile 
tribes, and not lefs terrible on account of it's fize 
than it's malignity. It foinewhat refembles the 
lobfter in fliape, but is infinitely more hideous. 
The diff'erent fpecies are chiefly diftinguiflied by 
their colour, fize, and local circumftances: fome 
are yellow, brown, and afti-coloured ; others fer- 
ruginous, green, pale yellow, black, claret-co- 
loured, white, and grey. 
In this animal four principal parts are diftin- 
gui finable ; the head, the breaft, the belly, and 
the tail. The head appears as if jointed to the 
breaft ; in the middle of which are feen two eyes, 
and a little farther forv/ard two more eyes, placed 
in the fore-part of the head : thefe eyes are fo mi- 
nute, that they are fcarcely perceptible; and it is 
probable that the animal has but little occafion 
for the faculty of fight. The mouth is furniftied 
with two jaws; the undermoft is divided, and the 
parts are notched into each other, ferving inftead 
of teeth to comminute the Scorpion's food; and 
thefe it can fo withdraw into it's mouth, as that no 
part of them is to be feen. On each fide of the 
head are two arms, each compofed of four joints; 
the laft of which is large, with ftrong mufcles, and 
conftrucfted in the manner of a lobfter's claw. Be- 
low the breaft there are eight articulated legs, each 
divided into fix joints ; the two hindmoft of which 
are each provided with two crooked claws, and 
here and there interfperfed with hair. The bellv 
is divided into feven little rings ; from the loweffc 
of which a tail rifes, compofed of fix joints, briftly, 
formed like fmall globes, and the laft armed with 
a crooked fting. This is that inftrument which 
renders the Scorpion fo formidable : it is long, 
pointed, hard, hollow, and pierced near the bafe 
with two fmall holes, through which, when the 
animal ftings, it ejects a drop of poifon, white, 
cauftic, and fometimes fatal. The refervoir 
wherein this poifon is lodged, is a fmall bladder 
near the tail, in which the venom is diftilled by a 
peculiar apparatus : if this bladder be gently 
prefixed, the poifon will be feen to ifilie out through 
the two holes already mentioned ; fo that it ap- 
pears that, when the animal fcings, the bladder is 
prefixed, and the venom iflTues through the two 
apertures into the wound. 
Few animals are more formidable, or more 
truly mifchievous, than Scorpions. As they ea- 
fily find flicker, and generally lurk in houfes, they 
of courfe frequently aflfault the inhabitants. In 
fome towns of Italy, France, and the province of 
Languedoc, they prove one of the greateft pefts 
of mankind. But their malignity in Europe is 
but trifling when compared to v^'hat the- natives of 
Africa and the Faft are known to experience from 
them. In Batavia, where they grow to the length 
of twelve inches, there is no removing any piece 
of furniture without the utmoft danger of being 
ftung by them. Bofman afiTures us, that along 
the Gold Coaft they are often found as large as 
loblters ; 
