The very large fpecies here reprefented is the great 
-African Scorpion, or Scorpio Afer of Linnteus. Its 
general colour is a deep brown, nearly approaching in 
fome fpecimens to black. It grows to a very large 
lize; fpecimens being fometimes feen which far exceed 
in fize the figure here reprefented. Scorpions are vi¬ 
viparous infects, and produce a very confiderable num¬ 
ber of young at once ; which are completely fhaped, 
and undergo no farther change, except (perhaps) cak¬ 
ing their Ik in from time to time in the manner of fpi- 
ders. Several fabulous anecdotes of thefe animals have 
been recorded by the older writers on natural hiftory, 
which are totally unworthy of being related in the pre- 
fent enlightened age. One of the mod remarkable of 
thefe legends is, that a Scorpion furrounded by live 
coals, finding no method to efcape, grows defperate 
from its fituation and flings itfelf to death. It is not 
uncommon to hear this quoted with ferious credulity as 
the only inftance of fuicide amongft inferior animals. 
Fig. 2. The pedlinated parts or combs. 
