SCORPION. ENG., Fa.
Aqraba, Am-aryat, ARAB. Scorpio, . . . LAT.
T'siuen-hieh, . . CHIN. Escorpion, . . . . SY. Okrab, . . . . Teru, Telu, . TAm., TEL.
Bichu, . . . HIND.
The scorpion is one of the Arachnida, order Pedi Palpi and family Scorpionidx, eight-legged, air-breathing, articulate animals, comprising newts, spiders, scorpions. In some parts of the Dekhan scorpions are very numerous in open plains, living in holes about nine lines in diameter. On one occasion the plain at the Gor-Nuddi, used as a parade ground for the Poona Horse, was found pierced in every direction with scorpion holes ; perhaps not a foot of ground but had one of these, and in every one was a scorpion. It was a very curious sight, perhaps not rare in India, though unseen or unnoticed. The boys tapped the ground near, to cause a few particles of sand to fall down on the scorpion, on which it would appear at its opening, and the sharp eud of a deer's horn wa,s thrust below to prevent its retreat. They were then tied together and made to fight. The scorpion has a curved sting at the end of its tail. If the sharp point of the stieg be cut off, the auimal cannot wound or hurt. Scorpions inhabit the hot countries of both hemispheres, live on the ground, conceal themselves under stones and other substances, most commonly in ruins, dark mid cool places, and often in houses. They run with considerable swiftness, curving the tail over the back ; this they can turn in every direc tion, and use for the purposes of attack and defence. When irritated, they dmw back the clawed palpi for the purpose of defending the head, and at the same time curve the tail on the back, prepared to strike at any moment. 3Iost Asiatics have a quite unnecessary dread of their sting. May you be stung by a scorpion of Cashan,
is a common malediction in Persia. With their forceps they seize various small insects, on which they feed after having pierced them with their sting, and they are particularly fond of the eggs of spiders. The pain suffered from the scorpion's sting seems to depend more upon the tempera ment of the sufferer than any other cause ; some suffering much agony, occasionally terminating in death, while others become only slightly agitated. The remedies employed are the volatile alkali, chloroforni used extemally and internally, and, externally, ipecacuau in form of a paste. The favourite remedy now in the United States is the ' whisky cure,' which, under the form of arrack, combined in the case of a scorpion sting with a poultice of chewed tobacco, was known for the last fifty years to the British soldier in India. Buthus afer, Lelni, the great black scorpion of Ceylon, is as large as A little cray-fish ; its sting occasions a little inflammation. Small birds wounded by a scorpion tremble, stagger, soon fall down, become convulsed, and die. It is said that a scorpion, if surrounded by fire so as to be pre vented escaping, stings itself to death. Infested spots seem to have been common in Palestine and Mesopotiunia, as in Numbers xxxiv. 4 ; Joshua xv. 3 ; Judges i. 36 ; 1 Maccabees v. 3. The males are smaller than the females ; the penis is double, and placed near the combs ;. the females have two vulvm ; during copulation they are placed upon their backs. They are ovoviviparous, eggs 40 or 60 in nuniber, and gestation lasts for a year.—Eng. Cyc. ; Burton, The City of the Saints, p.193 ; Wallace.