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THE SCORHOH. 
Genus IX. — Scorpio. The Scorpion. 
We are now to contemplate the manners of an animal, 
the mod hideous, and perhaps the moft formidable of 
the infe£t tribes. There are fix different fpecies of the 
fcorpion, dilfinguiflied by their fize and colour, and the 
countries where they reflde. Happily for Britain, none 
are found there, but a fpecies no bigger than a loufe ; 
and even that is extremely rare f . In Italy, Spain, and 
the fouth of France, they are frequently to be met with 
three inches in length, and are coofidered as the greatefl 
pefts that torment mankind. But the fize and malignity 
of the fcorp'tons of Europe may be deemed trifling, when 
compared with that of the African monitors that are di- 
Itinguifhed by that name. Along the Gold Coaft they 
are fometimes found larger than a loblter, and their fling 
is inevitably fatal J. From the language of Scripture, 
too, we find that in the eaft thefe animals have long been 
formidable to mankind. In Batavia, they fometimes 
grow twelve inches in length ; and in removing furni- 
ture, behind which they Ikulk, there is the utmoft dan- 
ger of being flung. 
The genus of fcorpions is characterifed by eight eyes, 
three of which are placed on each fide of the thorax, and 
tw© 
f Barbnt’s Gen. Inf. p. 3JI. 
1 Bofmar.’s Travels. 
