278 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
experiments on the scorpion of Languedoc, found it by no 
means so invariably dangerous as it had till then been 
represented. 
From his experiments, indeed, it appears, that many cir- 
cumstances, which are utterly unknown, must contribute to 
give efficacy to the scorpion’s venom ; but whether its food, 
long fasting, the season, the nature of the vessels it wounds, 
or its state of maturity, contribute to, or retard its malignity, 
is yet to be ascertained by succeeding observers. 
The scorpion of the tropical climates being much larger 
titan the former, is probably much more venomous. Hel- 
bigius, however, who resided many years in the East, assures 
us, that he was often stung by the scorpion, and never re- 
ceived any material injury from the wound ; a painful tumour 
generally ensued ; but he always cured it by rubbing the part 
with a piece of iron or stone, as he had seen the Indians 
practise before him, until the flesh became insensible. Seba, 
Moore, and Bosnian, however, give a very different account 
of the scorpion’s malignity ; and assert that, unless speedily 
relieved, the wound becomes fatal. 
It is certain, that no animal in the creation seems endued 
with such an irascible nature. 
Walkatner tried the courage of the scorpion against the 
large spider, and enclosed several of both kinds in glass 
vessels for that purpose.* The success of this combat was 
very remarkable. The spider at first used all its efforts to 
entangle the scorpion in its web, which it immediately began 
spinning ; but the scorpion rescued itself from the danger, 
by stinging its adversary to death: it soon after cut off, with 
its claws, all the legs of the spider, and then sucked all the 
internal parts at its leisure. — If the scorpion’s skin had not 
been hard, Walkamer is of opinion, that the spider would 
have obtained the victory ; lor he had often seen one of 
these spiders destroy a toad. 
The fierce spirit of this animal is equally dangerous to its 
own species ; for scorpions are the cruelest enemies to each 
other. Maupertuis put about an hundred of them together 
in the same glass; and they scarcely came into contact, 
when they began to exert all their rage in mutual destruc- 
tion ; there was nothing to be seen but one univeral carnage, 
without any distinction of age or sex; so that, in a few 
days, there remained only fourteen, which had killed and 
devoured all the rest. 
But their unnatural malignity is still moreapparent in their 
cruelty to their offspring. He enclosed a female scorpion, 
Ej'humerides, Dec. II, 1087, Observ. 224. 
