Aug. 24, 1912 
FOREST AND STREAM 
237 
and demonstrated is earnestly demanded by al¬ 
most every State in the Union. 
The McLean and Weeks bills for the pro¬ 
tection of migratory birds have brought forth 
more enthusiastic support from the scientific 
and sporting fraternity than any measure which 
has been offered, with the possible exception 
of the Weeks Appalachin Forest measure, which 
finally became a law, notwithstanding the efforts 
of its opponents who offered the same alleged 
constitutional grounds for objecting that the 
opponents, including Mr. Mondell, is now urg¬ 
ing to the Weeks and McLean measures for 
protection of migratory birds. Nothing daunt¬ 
ed, Mr. Weeks will continue his efforts in be¬ 
half of this measure at the next session of Con¬ 
gress, when it is believed either his or the Mc¬ 
Lean bill will pass both the House and Senate. 
It might not be amiss for those who are inter¬ 
ested in the enactment of either of the bills 
mentioned to write immediately to their Sena¬ 
tors and representatives in Congress and urge 
the support of either measure which has for its 
purpose the protection of the migratory and 
game birds of the country, which is surely a 
patriotic desire on the part of all, in addition 
to being an effort to preserve a form of wild 
life that is of the greatest economic importance. 
Scorpion Stings. 
BY FRANCIS C. NICHOLAS. 
Discussion is heard at times in regard to 
the effects of a sting from a scorpion. Some 
people claim that such a sting is not dangerous; 
others state that there have been many instances 
where a scorpion has inflicted a fatal wound. 
The strength of the poison from these insects 
is often thought to vary with the locality. Here 
in Northern Mexico the sting of a scorpion is 
thought of less than a nip from a red ant. 
Further south in Tepic the insect is dreaded and 
held in so great fear that watchfulness against 
it becomes such a habit as to develop a sugges¬ 
tion of dread in the ordinary movements of 
many people. It is claimed by some that there 
are two varieties of the scorpion in Tepic, one 
of little consequence; the other capable of in¬ 
flicting a' terrible punishment, frequently even to 
the death of the victim. 
The following incident is authentic and is 
related personally by the gentleman who suf¬ 
fered, William Bremer, whose address is in care 
of O. J. Omstead, Nogales, Ariz.: 
Mr. Bremer was engaged as a constructing 
engineer for the Southern Pacific Railway of 
Mexico and was stung twice in the State of 
Tepic by scorpions, during September of last 
year. In telling of the occurrence he said : 
“When I was first stung I didn’t think much 
of it and had no trouble; a numbness in the 
arm for a few moments, a little stinging pain 
which some ammonia relieved, and that was all. 
I didn't even stop work. I do not know what 
kind of scorpion it was that stung me, because 
a Mexican killed it before I could see it, and I 
did not give much attention to the stories of 
danger, but now I would go up on top of the 
Court House and jump off before I would be 
stung again by a Tepic scorpion. It was shortly 
after my first experience that I was stung again, 
this time on the lower part of the thumb. The 
first sensation was a prick and a sharp burning 
pain as if a red hot needle had been run into 
the fleshy part of my thumb. This continued 
for about two minutes, then the pain stopped. 
Meanwhile the wound had been cut open and 
allowed to bleed freely, a Mexican sucking the 
place vigorously to draw out the poison. It did 
me no good, and in about five minutes my nose 
began to run, discharging large quantities of 
mucus. Gradually a pricking sensation began 
to develop, as if an electric needle were 
being applied, and it seemed as though my 
tongue was swelling up and the pricking sen¬ 
sation was increasing to burning pains. The 
area of this feeling and pain gradually extended 
till the throat and the chest were affected, 
and the pain was becoming unendurable. I 
wanted water, but found that I could not swal¬ 
low; also I was nauseated by the water I so 
much wanted, because it had in my mouth the 
taste of putrefaction. The pains were increas¬ 
ing all the time, becoming like electric shocks, 
accompanied by burning, and shortly became so 
violent that I could not breathe. Then the pain 
became more than the human body could sustain 
and remain under control. I went into violent 
convulsions, and it seemed as though I would 
in my writhings of agony twist my body in 
contortions which would have wrenched it to 
death if three men had not held me, and to do 
so it required all their force. 
“I was taken to camp four kilometers dis¬ 
tant in an open wagon, the convulsions and gasp- 
ings for breath continuing and becoming intensi¬ 
fied at every jolt and movement. I was put in 
bed where I remained fourteen hours. The 
ability to speak began to return after two or 
three hours, but I could only with great diffi¬ 
culty get out a word or two and would at times 
be five minutes or more in simply saying ‘water.’ 
I could not remain in one position, and if any¬ 
thing touched me, it brought on the convulsions 
of pain. At one time a friend threw a shirt 
across the room to an attendant who wanted it 
for me, but failing to catch it, the shirt fell on 
me, and it seemed as though a cart load of bricks 
had fallen. 
“With each succeeding paroxysm and strug¬ 
gling for breath it was thought that my end had 
come, for death from this scorpion’s sting 
usually results during such struggles. The ef¬ 
fects of the poison gradually wore off, and after 
fourteen hours I could get up, though I was 
weak and could not manage my legs and feet. 
On trying to walk I staggered like a drunken 
man, and for several days the numbness and 
pricking sensations continued in my feet. After 
two or three weeks I was as well as usual, but 
I never want another such experience: 
“There are in Mexico two kinds of scorpions. 
The poisonous fellow is small, not over two inches 
long and has a yellow shading under its tail 
which can be seen when the tail is coiled up 
to sting. In the specimens I have seen it is not 
very distinct, but it might be clearer on some 
specimens, and this would account for the yel¬ 
low soot which some people say the poisonous 
scorpion has on its tail. I have heard some 
people say it is a red spot. The coloring may 
change a little at different seasons, but it is 
simply a shading on the underparts of the in¬ 
sect. I appear to have been stung by each 
variety, and whenever you hear a fellow say 
that a scorpion is not dangerous, you just say 
that it depends on the kind of scorpion. 
“Yes, sir, I have known of other people who 
were stung while we were at work in Tepic. 
A woman was stung on the breast and died in 
two hours. A boy was stung and died in a' few 
hours. One of the young engineers was stung 
in the office about 6 a. m., and a little after noon 
he was dead, though the company’s physician 
was in attendance all the time. Besides these 
there were a number of people on construction 
work who were stung. Some nearly died and 
all went through such experiences of pain and 
convulsions as I have described. I have been 
bitten by a rattlesnake, and the pain and pros¬ 
tration are as nothing when compared to the 
agonies I suffered from the sting of a poison 
scorpion.” 
Mr. Bremer, who makes the above state¬ 
ment, is a well known and highly respected con¬ 
structing engineer who conducts his business in 
Northern Sonora, Mexico, and in Southern Ari¬ 
zona and California. 
A North Carolina Preserve. 
FIendersonville, N. C., Aug. 1 y.-^Editor 
Forest and Stream: I only learned quite re¬ 
cently of a very interesting experience right 
here in Western North Carolina. It must be 
remembered, however, that this “neck of 
woods” is quite extensive—140 miles west of 
this town. 
A gentleman from Detroit, Mich., has 
leased for a number of years 60,000 or more 
acres of mountain lands in Graham county, in 
the extreme western part of the State, for a 
game or fish preserve. His name is Moore. 
This is a grand mountain region and splendidly 
watered. Big and Little Snowbird creeks, and 
the Santeetla River and tributaries are well 
stocked with brook trout. He has built heavy 
wire fences and introduced a half dozen or 
more of elk, or wapiti, as many brown bear, 
a number of buffalo and wild boar (this latter 
I wish had been left out), these to stock the 
preserve. 
I am only sorry regarding the wild boars, 
as two of our most valuable game birds, the 
wild turkey and ruffed grouse, are already hav¬ 
ing a hard time to hold their own against many 
enemies, the worst and most destructive of all 
so far being a cousin of the wild boar, viz., the 
razor-back hog. Altogether it is a very inter¬ 
esting experiment. A friend was recently on 
this preserve on a business trip and saw a num¬ 
ber of the elk and buffalo. 
A large breed of dogs are there also, and 
these dogs were then introduced in an effort 
to have the bear cut short his visit, and this he 
resented. He was finally lassoed, and thus was 
“persuaded” back to his own grounds. I am 
told when these bears arrived at the nearest 
depot to the preserve, Andrews Station, a 
pretty little town in Cherokee county, they were 
locked up over night in the freight depot in 
their crates or cages. 
Next morning when the agent of the rail¬ 
road opened the door of the depot one of the 
animals was “at large,” and no doubt looked 
large. It is enough to say the door was 
quickly closed. He had to be lassoed and re¬ 
turned to his crate. I shall look forward with 
much interest to this the first experiment of 
this kind I have heard of in our mountains. 
Barring the boars, I think it an assured 
success. ' Ernest L. Ewbank. 
