The naturalists' miscellany, or, Coloured figures of natural objects; drawn and described immediately from nature

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ARACTER GENERICUS. Pedes octo : insuper Cheliae duae frontales. Oculi octo: horum tres ad latus utrumque thoracis ; duo in tergo. Palpi duo, CheliformeS.Cauda elongata, articulata, terminata Mucrone

Pectines duo subtus, inter pectus et abdomen. Lin. 8s. Nat. p. 1O37. CHARACTER SPECIFICUS, Fc. SCORPIO pectinibus 13-dentatis, manibus sub- cordatis pilosis. Lin. Ses. Nat. p. 1O38.

SCORPIO INDUS.

Inter omnia insecta hactenus cognita, quae Venenosae et malignae sunt indolis, Scorpiones primo semper numerari soliti sunt. Notandum tamen est vim veneni vel augeri vel minui pro diversa hominum vulneratorum idiosyncrassia, statuque ipsius animalis, majorive minorive impetu quo plaga infligitur. Concedendum etiam est vulgarem Scorpionem Europaeum, multo magis

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gis quam necesse est timeri, cujus ab aculeo vix aliquid mali potest evenire. At vero ingentes Africani Scorpiones, qualis est ille qui in tabula depingitur, vulnus

infligere posse jure censetur, quod dolor acerrimus, Virusque gravissimum solent comitari. Venenum per tria minutissima foramina prope apicem aculei exit, a summo fere apice et ab Utroque latere. Notum est multum diuque dubitasse physicos sitne foramen necne, per quod venenum effunditur, in aranearum forcipibus. Similiter de foraminibus in scorpionis aculeo dubitatum est, immo pene ad lites perventum. Celeberrimus Redi, optimis licet vitris microscopicis tunc temporis instructus, non potUit foramen discernere; qui tamen revera

illud extare minime dubitavit, quippe qui ab aculeo compresso guttulam quasi liquoris albescentis juxta apicem exprimi tape viderat. Alii autem multi ullum esse

foramen plane negarunt. Vallis eri et Leewenhoe kforamina duo triangula clare visa descripserunt ab utroque latere prope apicem sita; alii tria detexerunt; unde patet Scorpioni S aculeum venenum promptius emare

posse quam alius cujusvis animalis. Pars illa quae Scorpionibus sub pectore sita est, quaeque more pectinis denticulata est, hoc ipso nomine pectinis a Linnaeo designatur; qui etiam diversas species numero dentium in pectine distinguere conatus est. Fefellit tamen multos haec discriminandi methodus; pectinibus enim ejusdem speciei impar forsan sit numerus dentium: ideoque hoc solo signo species non possunt satis accurate dignosci. Species hic depicta est magnus Scorpio Africanus, a

Linnaeo Scorpio Aser nominatus. Color ejus commUnis est admodum fuscus, interdum pene nigricans. In magnam crescit molem, interdum multo majorem quam

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repraesentat tabula. Vivipari sunt Scorpiones, et plurimos uno partu edUnt pullos, qui perfecte formati, nullam aliam mutationem subeunt, nisi forte quod aranearum more exuVias abjiciant. Quae scripserunt varia et mira de his animalibus antiquiores physici, aniles sunt fabulae, quas praesens EeVUm, cui omnigena affulsit scientia, aegre et indigne audiat. Haec igitur putida et inania lubens taceo. Unum tamen e plurimis fas mihi sit seligere; Scorpionem nempe carbonibus ignitis Circumdatum, cum nullum sibi exitum patere viderit, saluti tandem desperantem, sui ipsius aculei ictibus perire. Hanc fabulam, quasi fide dignam, plures etiamnunc temporis, serio et graViter recitant, et pro unicolaicidii exemplo inter inferiora animalia seligunt.

Fig. 2. Pectines.

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A FRICAN SCORPION.

domeno

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of so terribie a nature as is commonly supposed, and itis but rarely that any bad consequences happen stom iis sting. But the large Scorpions of Africa, such as hererepresented, may Keil be supposed capable os inflictinga wound of the most severe pungency and of the mostdreadfui malignity. The polson is evacuated throughthree very smali foramina near the tip of the sting, viz. one on each side the tip, and the other in the Upperpari. It is well known that a diversity of opinion has subsisted amongst authors relative to the sit or foramen

evacuated. The same contrariety of sentiment takes

place Wissi respect to such a foramen in the Scorpion's sting. The celebrated Redi, assisted by the best microscopes he could procure, Was not able to discover it; though he was weli convinced of iis existence Domperceiving the minute drop of poison exsude from nearthe tip of the sting. Others have dented the existence of the foramen; but Vallis eri and Leewenhoek haveboth described two foramina, viz. one on each side thetip, and whicli are of a s hape inclining to triangular: hesides these a third foramen has somelimes been seen; so that the sting of the Scorpion can With greater faci- lily discliarge iis venom than that of any other animal. The part in Scorpions whicli is seated below the breastand is toothed in the manner os a comb, is in the Linnaean language termed the pecten; and Linnaeus has endeavoured to distinguisti the species of Scorpions froni the number of teeth in this pari; but this hasbeen found a fallaciotas mark of distinction ; since theyuary in the number of teeth, and consequently no great certainty can be obtained frona this character atone.

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The very large species here represented is the great

African Scorpion, or Scorpio Afer of Linnaeus. Iis generat colour is a deep bro n, nearly approaching in s me specimens to blach. It grows to a Very large sige; specimens heing somelimes seen whicli far exceed in sige the figure here represented. Scorpions are Vi-viparous insedis, and produce a Very considerable num-her of young at once; Whicli are completely smaped, and undergo no farther change, excepi perhaps) cast-ing their stin stom time to time in the manner of spi-ders. Severat fabulous anecdotes of these animais have been recorded by the older writers on natural history, whicli are totally unworthy of being related in the present enlightened age. one of the most remarkable of these legends is, that a Scorpion surrounded by live coals, finding no method to escape, gro s desperate froni iis siluation and stings itself to death. It is not ancommon to hear this quoted with serious credulity asthe only instance of sulci de amongst inserior animais.

Fig. 2. The pectinated paris or combS.

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CERTHIA CARDINALIS.

ARACTER GENERICUS. Rosrum arcuatum, tenue, subtrigonUm, acULUm. Lingua aCUta. Pedes ambulatorii.

Lin. SVs. Nat. P. 184. ARACTER SPECIFICUS, Uc. CERTHIA RUBERRIMA, alis caudaque nigris, abdomine albido.

CERTHIA CARDINALIS λ

CERTHIA RUBRA 8

Inter minimas numeratur haec avicula sui generis, sistitque eam tabula magnitudine naturali. Forma generali Certhiae cruentatae Linnaei videtur simillima. In insulis aliquibus Australibus nasci creditur; quicquid autem ad peculiares illius mores attinet incognitum omne et incertum est.

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T FIR

iis genus, the figure representing it os iis natural sage. In iis generat appearance it seems eXtremely nearly al-lied to the certiui a cruentata of Linnaeus, or red- spolied creeper. It is supposed to be a native of some of the Sohathern istanus, but iis particular history seems to be