SCO s c u 
dark rudy hue. Another female, in a different 
veflel, brought forth twenty-feven of the fame co- 
lour; and the day following, all the young ones 
feemed fixed to the back and belly of the female. 
For almoft a fortnight, they all continued alive 
and well ; but afterwards, fome of thenn died daily; 
and, in a month's time, only two of the whole 
number furvived. 
Thefe animals may be kept alive with little 
trouble by fuch as are curious of contemplating 
hideous deformity. Tlieir chief food is worms 
and infefts; with a proper fupply of which their 
lives might probably be lengthened to their natu- 
ral extent: how long that may be, perhaps none 
have had the patience to afcertain with precifion; 
but, if we may argue from analogy, it cannot be 
Icfs than feven or eight years ; and, with refpect to" 
the larger fpecies, peradventure double that pe- 
riod. As their figure is fomewhat like that of a 
lobfter, fo they refemble that animil in calling 
their {hell, or, more properly, tiieir fl<!n; fince it 
is infinitely fofter than the covering of the lob- 
fter, and befet with hairs, which proceed from it 
in great abundance, particularly at the joints. 
The young lie in the womb of the parent, each 
covered up in it's own membrane, to the num.ber 
of forty or fifty; and united to each other by an 
oblong thread, exhibiting colledlively the form of 
a chaplet. 
Such is the manner in which the common Scor- 
pion generates it's young. But there is an Aine- 
rican Scorpion, produced from the egg, like the 
fpiderkind: thefe eggs are about the fize of a 
moderate pin's head ; and are depofited in a web, 
which the female fpins from her body, and car- 
ries about with her till the v/hole are hatched. 
As foon as the young are excluded from the fhell, 
they afcend the back of their parent, who turns 
her tail over, and defends them by means of her 
fling. 
SCORPION FLY. An appellation by which 
Mouffet and fome other naturalifts exprefs a kind 
of fly remarkable for carrying the end of it's tail 
turned up in the form of a Scorpion's fting. The 
diftinguifhing charadlers of this infedt are: it's 
roftrum or trunk is of a cylindric figure, and a 
horny ftruclure; and it's tail is furniihed with a 
weapon of thechiliform kind. 
There are two beautiful fpecies of this infecfl. 
The one has filvery wings, variegated with three 
tranfverfe ftreaks of black towards the ends; the 
head is black; the breaft, fhoulders, and feet, are 
whitifh; and the reft of the body is black. The 
tail, which reprefents a fting, has five joints, three 
of which are red, the other two black; and the ex- 
tremity of the tail is forked, and reverted like 
the fting of a fcorpion. 
The other fpecies in many refpedls refembles 
the preceding; but the end of the tail is thicker, 
and the forks are more blunt. The head alfo is 
dunniOi ; the mouth is long, and each wing is va- 
riegated with fix large-fized black fpots. 
SCORPION, SEA. A name by which fome 
ichthyologifts exprefs the Cottus Scorpius of Lin- 
naeus; in Englifn, the fatherlalhcr. 
SCORPION, WATER. A fingular fpecies 
of water-infe6l, living among the weeds in ftag- 
nant waters, and continually watching for it's 
prey. It is nearly one inch in length, and about 
half an inch in breadth. The body is nearly 
oval, but very fiat and thin; and the tail is long 
and pointed. The head u fm.allj, and the feelers 
refemble the claws of a fcorpion, except in beinor 
deftitute of fbarp points. The eyes are fmal)^ 
but prominent, and very hard and black; the 
flioulders are broad and flat, wrinkled on the fur- 
face, and of a pale brown colour, as is alfo the 
head ; the body, which is of a bright red lead-co- 
lour on the back, and a faint dufky brown on the 
belly, is compofed of fix joints, covered w^ith a 
fort ot Icales ; the exterior wings are hard and firm^ 
and of a dark dull brown hue; and the inner 
wings are of a dufl<:y white, varied with a red lead- 
colour. The tail, which is long and ftraio-hr, 
confifts of two flender briftles of a pale brown 
hue. 
Thefe infc6ls, which are extremely tyrannical 
and rapacious, deftroy twenty times as much as 
their appetites require. One of them, when put 
into a bafon of water, in which v.'cre thirty or forty 
worms of the libellula kind, each as large as it- 
felf, deftroyed them all in a few minutes, by 
mounting on their backs, and piercing their bo- 
dies with it's trunk. But though thefe creatures 
are formidable to others, they are neverihelefs 
themfelves gready over- run with a kind of final! 
lice, which probably repay the injuries which 
thefe tyrants inflift on other infefts, 
Water-Scorpions live in that element during 
the day; but afcend into the air at even-tide; and 
fo flying from place to place, often betake them- 
felves to diflant waters in fearch of food. 
Until th:s infed afTumes it's wings, it remains 
in the fame place where it was produced; but, 
when arrived at a ftate of perfetlion, it faiiits 
forth in fearch of a companion of the other fex, 
and foon begets an ufelefs generation. 
SCOTER. A fpecies of duck, the anas niger 
of ornithologifts; called alfo the black diver. 
This bird is nearly about the fize of the comm.on 
duck; but the body is more round, and entirely 
of a deep fhining and beautiful black colour. It 
is very commiOn on the fliores of Lancafliire, and 
Ibme other counties; lives only in tlie vicinity of 
fait waters; and is a very expert diver. 
The French give this bird the name of Ma- 
creufe; and the Church of Rome allows it's RcQi 
to be eaten in Lent. 
SCREAMER; the Palamedea of Li nnseus. 
A genus of grallas: the charafters of which are; 
that the bill is conic, the upper mandible being 
hooked; and the feet are cloven, having each four 
toes. Pennant denominates it the Screamer on 
account of the violent noife which it makes. 
There are two fpecies, both natives of South- 
America, 
SCROFANELLO. A name by which fome 
authors exprefs a fmall Mediterranean fifli moi-e 
ufually denominated fcorjoasna. 
SCULION. An Arrftotelian appellation for 
the fidi called by later ichthyologifts catulusjand 
catulus major: in England, the bounce. 
SCURFF. An Englifh name for a fpecies of 
falmon, m.ore ufually denominated the bull-trout. 
It never grows to any very confiderable fize; and 
evidently differs from the common falmion in hav- 
ing it's tail even at the extremity, not bifid; a 
thick, fhort head; and flefh m.uch whiter than 
that of the fahnon. 
SCURR A. A name given by fome of the an- 
cient v/riters to the monedula, or common jack- 
daw. 
SCURVOGEL. An American bird, called 
alfo the whendtr-apoa; and, by the Brazilians, 
jabiruguacu. 
