scorodite 
tals of a pale leek-green or liver-brown color. 
It occurs in many localities, associated with arsenical 
ores, especially with arsenopyrite ; it has also been ob- 
served as a deposit about some hot springs, as in the Yel- 
lowstone region. 
Scorpaena(skor-pe'na), n. [NL. (Artedi ; Lin- 
nseus, 1758), < L. seorpxna, < Gr. otipxaiva, 
a fish, Scorpsena scrofa, so called in allu- 
sion to the dorsal spines, which are capable 
of inflicting a stinging wound; < anopmot, a 
scorpion: see scorpion.'] A Linnean genus of 
fishes, used with varying latitude, now closely 
restricted and made the type of the family 
Scorpsenidee. The original flsh of this name is S. scrofa, 
of European waters. Another is S. parcus, known nspiy- 
''. 
BE ;tk< 
5410 
SCOrper (skor'per), . [A misspelling of XI-UH- 
]><'r.~\ 1. In wood- and metal-work, a form of 
gouging-chisel for 
working in bol- 
losvs, as in forming 
bowls and in un- 
dercutting carv- 
ings, etc. 2. A 
scorperxdef.,). pointed, flat, or 
rounded steel tool 
with a sharp edge, set in a wooden or other 
handle, used by the jeweler for drilling holes 
and cutting away parts of the metal-work 
around settings to hold precious stones. 
SCOrpiact (skor'pi-ak), a. [< MGr. o/>maKOf, 
pertaining to a scorpion, < Gr. ovcopm'of, a scor- 
pion: see scorpion.] Of or pertaining to a 
scorpion ; figuratively, stinging. 
To wound him first with arrows of sharp-pointed words, 
and then to sting him with a scorpiack censure. 
Hacket, Life of Williams, 1. 82. (Davits.) 
Scorpidinae (skor-pi-di'ne), ti.pl. [NL.,< Hem-pi* 
(-pid-) + -ilia?.] A subfamily of fis" 
scorpion 
fishes, typified 
. duced by Gill for 
Pinulepteriria with the front teeth incisor-like but without 
by the genus Seorpis. It was introduced by Gill for 
Scor|>ene (Scorfmna 
.fool, found in southern Europe. S. yuttata is a Californian 
representative known as scorpion or scorpene, also scittjnn : 
and other species are called in Spanish-speaking countries 
rascacios. See hoyfish. 
Scorpaenidae (skor-pe'ni-de), n. pi. [NL., < 
Scorpeena + -irfa?.] A family of acanthoptery- 
gian fishes, typified by the genus Scorptena, to 
which different limits have been assigned, (a) 
In Gunther's system, a family of Acanthopteryyii perci- 
.formcs with perfect or nearly perfect ventrals, and a bony 
stay for the angle of the preoperculum, which is armed, 
this stay arising from the infraorbital ring. (6) In GUI's 
system, those Scorpanoidea which have the dorsal flu con- 
sisting of an elongated spinigerous and short arthropterous 
section; well-developed thoracic orpost-thoracic ventrals; 
head moderately compressed ; branchial apertures extend- 
ing forward and not separated by an isthmus ; and a dor- 
sadiform (or nuchadiforra) trunk. The scorpcenoids re- 
semble percoids, having the body oblong, more or less 
compressed, with usually large head and wide terminal 
mouth, and ridges or spines on the top and also on the 
opercles. A bony stay extends from the suborbltal to the 
preopercle ; the gill-slits are wide ; the scales are ctenoid 
(sometimes cycloid); and the lateral line is single. The 
ventrals are thoracic, with one spine and typically five 
rays ; the dorsal is rather long with numerous (from eight 
to sixteen) spines and about as many soft rays ; the anal 
is rather short, with three spines and from five to ten rays. 
The pseudobranchiaj are large, the pyloric creca few (less 
than twelve in number), and an air-bladder is present 
Over 20 genera and 200 species inhabit all seas; they 
are specially numerous in temperate regions of the Pacific 
ocean, where they form a large, conspicuous, and econom- 
ically important feature of the piscifanna. The northern 
species mostly live about rocks, and hence their most gen- 
eral name is rockfish or rock-cod. Many are viviparous, the 
young being born alive when about a fourth of an inch long ; 
some of them attain a large size, and all are used for food 
Besides Seorpxna, notablegenera which include American 
forms are Sebastes, SeboModes, and Sebastichthys, includ 
mg a great variety of rockflsh or rock-cod, mainly of the 
Pacific coast, known as rose-fish, redfith, mapper, boccac- 
cio, merou, priest-fish, vittva, garrupa, Jtiaum, rather or 
rasctera, tambor, coriair, fly-fish, rena. Spanish-flag, tree- 
fish, etc. See the generic and vernacular names, and cuts 
under priest-fish, rockfish, Sebastts, Spanish-fiaa, cortair 
and Scorpana. 
Scorpaeninse (skor-pe-ni'ne), n. pi. [NL., < 
Seorpxna + -ina?.] Asubfamily of Scorpsenidse, 
exemplified by the genus Seorpxna, with three 
pairs of epipharyngeals, vertebrae in variable 
number, and the dorsal commencing above the 
opereulum. The species are mostly tropical and most 
numerous in the Indo-Paciflc region. Some of them are 
remarkable for brilliancy of color and the development 
of spines or fringes. 
scorpaenoid (skor-pe'noid), a. and n. [< Scor- 
psena + -oid.~\ I. a. Resembling, related to, 
or belonging to the Scorpsenidee or Scornx- 
noidea. 
ja^-a- 
Medialuna (Cxstosama ratt/ornitHsis). one of the SccrfutiH*. 
roots extending backward, with teeth on the vomer, and the 
soft flns densely scaly. Few species are known. One, Cx- 
siosoma californitiuns, occurs along the Californian coast. 
Scorpio (sk6r'pi-6),w. [L.NL.: see scorpion.] 1. 
In zodl. , a Linnean genus of arachnidans, equiv- 
alent to the modern order Scorpionida, used 
with various restrictions, now the type of the 
limited family Scorpionidse. See scorpion. 2. 
A constellation and the eighth sign of the zodiac, 
represented by the 
character^. Thecon- 
stellation, which is prom- 
inent in early summer in 
the skies of the south- 
ern United States (where 
the whole of the magnifi- 
cent tail clears the hori- 
zon), contains the first- 
magnitude red star An- 
tares and several of the 
second magnitude. With 
the Chaldeans and Greeks 
ft extended over one 
sixth of the planetary 
circle, the scorpion being 
represented with exag- 
gerated claws embracing 
a circular space where 
Libra is now placed. 
From this irregularity it 
may be inferred that the 
constellation is older than 
the zodiac, which was 
formed before 2000 B. c. 
Libra, though later, is of 
no small antiquity, since 
it appears in the Egyp- 
tian zodiacs. Its adop- 
The Constellation Scorpio (the 
Scorpion), with Libra. 
II. n. A member of the family Scorpeenidse. 
Scorpaenoidea (sk6r-pe-noi'de-ii), n. pi. [NL., 
< Scorpeena + -oidea.~\ A supe'ffamily of mail- 
cheeked fishes, with the hypercoracoid and hy- 
pocoracoid bones normally developed, a com- 
plete myodome, and post-temporals normally 
articulated with the cranium, comprising the 
families Scorpienidse, Synanceidte, Hexagram- 
midee, and Anoplopomidee. 
scorpene (skor'pen), n. [< It. scorpina = OF. 
scorpene, < L. seorpxna, a fish, Scorptena scrofa : 
see Scorpsena. The name for -S. scrofa was 
transferred by the Italian fishermen on the 
Californian coast to S. guttata.} A scorpte- 
A* ,l>. S yTXa 9 uttata - The cheeks, opercle, 
and top of the head are naked, the breast is scaly, ami the 
color js brown mottled and blotched with rosj- purplish 
and pale olive. It is about a foot long, and is abundant 
on the southern Californian coast, where it is also called 
smlpm. See cut under Seorpxna. 
tion by Julius Ctesar in 
his calendar made it fa- 
miliar. Ptolemy, how- 
ever, though living in 
Egypt nearly two centu- 
ries later, follows Baby- 
lonian and Greek astron- 
omers in covering the place of Libra with the scorpion's 
claws. In designating the stars of this constellation by 
means of the Greek letters, the genitive Scorpii (from the 
alternative Latin form scorpius: see scorpion) is used : thus, 
Antares is a Scorpii. 
Scprpiodea, Scorpioidea (sk6r-pi-o'de-a, -oi'- 
de-a), i. pi. [NL. : see scorpioid.'] Same as 
Scorpionida. 
SCOrpioid (skfir'pi-pid), a. [< Gr. mopmoeitifa, 
contr. otiopmwdi/c, like a scorpion, < mop/riof, a 
scorpion, + &>f, form.] 1. In zodl. : (a) Re- 
sembling or related to a scorpion; belonging 
to the Scorpionida. (b) Rolled over or curled 
like the tail of a scorpion; cincinnal; coiled in 
a flat spiral. 2. In bot., curved or cireinate at 
the end, like the tail of a scorpion ; rolled up 
toward one side in the manner of a crozier, 
unrolling as the flowers expand, as in some of 
the Boraginacrse. See cut in next column. 
scorpion (skor'pi-on), 11. [< ME. scorpion, scor- 
pionn, xcorpiun, < OF. scorpion, scorpiun, escor- 
pion, F. scorpion = Pr. Sp. escorpion = Pg. es- 
corpiSo = It. scorpione, also Scorpio = D. schor- 
l>i(ien = MLG. schorjiion, scliorpie = OHG. scor- 
pjo, scorpo, MHG. schorpe, schorp, scorpe, scorp, 
G. scorpion =: Sw. Dan. skorpion,<,\i. scorpio(ii-), 
Scorpion (Scorpio aftr), seen 
from above. 
Jt, the chelicerae, or chelate 
antennae; the large claws are 
cephalic appendages, the next 
two thoracic ; T, the telson or 
sting. 
Scorpioid Inflorescence of Sytnfhytum qfftcinale. 
also scorpius, < Gr. anopiriof (later also CKopiriuv 
in sense of a military engine), a scorpion, also 
a prickly sea-fish, a prickly plant, the constel- 
lation so called, a military engine.] 1. In zodl., 
an arthropod of 'the or- 
der Scor/iioiiifla. It has 
an elongated body: the 
cephalothorax is continuous 
with the abdomen, which 
ends In a long slender post- 
abdomen, which latter can 
be curled up over the back 
and is armed at the end with 
a sharp sting or telson, more 
or less hooked like a claw, 
and connected with a venom- 
gland, so that Its puncture in- 
flicts a poisoned wound. (See 
also cuts under Buthw and 
Scorpionida.) The sting of 
a scorpion is painful, and is 
said to paralyze the organs 
of speech. The scorpion has 
also a large pair of nippers 
in front, like the great claws 
of a lobster, and the whole 
figure is suggestive of a little 
lobster.an inch or af ew inches 
long. Scorpions abound in 
tropical and warm temperate 
countries. In the former 
they attain the maximum 
size of 8 or 10 inches, and are 
veryformidable. Theycom- 
monly lurk in dark retreats, 
as under stones and logs, and 
are particularly active at 
night. They are carnivorous chelate pedipa] pi fcr*ycephaio. 
and predaceous ; they seize thorax ; the first two legs are 
theirpreywiththeirnippers, " 
and sting It to death. Scor- 
pions are justly dreaded, but 
some popular beliefs respecting them have no foundation 
in fact, as that when the creature is surrounded by fire it 
stings itself to death rather than be burned, or that some 
fluid extracted from a scorpion will cure its sting. 
Thes is the scorpioun thet maketh uayr mid the heauede, 
and enueyineth mid the tayle. 
Ayenbtte of Inwyt (E. E. T. S.), p. 62. 
I lykne her to the scorpioun, 
That is a fals flatering beste ; 
For with his hede he maketh feste, 
But al amyd his flateringe 
With his tayle he wol stinge 
And envenyme. 
Chaucer, Death of Blanche, 1. 636. 
And though I once despair'd of woman, now 
I find they relish much of scorpions, 
For both have stings, and both can hurt and cure too. 
Beau, and Fl., Custom of the Country, v. 6. 
Tis true, a scorpion's oil is said 
To cure the wounds the vermin made 
5. Butter, Hudibras, III. ii. 1020. 
Hence 2. Some creature likened to or mis- 
taken for a scorpion, and poisonous or supposed 
to be so. (a) A false scorpion ; any member of the Pseu- 
doscorpiones. Among these arachnidans, belonging to the 
same class as the true scorpion, but to a different order, the 
members of the genus Chelifer are known as book-scorpions. 
(See Cheliferidas, and cut under Pseudoscorpiones.) Those 
called whip-scorpions are of the family Thelyphonida. 
(See cut under Pedipolpi.) Closely related to these, and 
sometimes sharing the name, are the Phrynidse. (See cut 
under Phrynidx.) (b) Centipeds and tarantulas are often 
confounded in the popular mind with scorpions, as are 
also (c) various small lizards, in the latter case probably 
from the habit some of them have of carrying their tails 
up. Thus, in the United States, some harmless lizards or 
skinks, as of the genera Sceloporos and Evmtces, are com- 
monly called scorpions, (d) Same as scorpion-bug. 
3. In iclith., a scorpion-fish or sea-scorpion; 
one of several different members of the Scor- 
psenidee, some of which are also called scorpene 
and xculpin. See cut under Scorpsena, and 
etymology of Seolppendra. 4. leap.'] In ag- 
tron., the eighth sign of the zodiac, which the 
sun enters about October 23d. See Scorpio, 2. 
Th' Eternal, to prevent such horrid fray, 
Hung forth in heaven his golden scales, 
Yet seen betwixt Astreea and the Scorjrion sign. 
Milton, P. L., iv. 998. 
