Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-07-06
Fight Between a Mouse and {
Scorpion.

THAT indefatigable naturalist, Nh.
Frank Buckland, has recently unpublished
the following account of fight be-
tween a mouse and a scorpion:
"In February, 1868, I received a box
by post containg two live scorpions,
kindly presented to me by my friend,
the late lamented J. KeaSt Lord, who
had caught them under stone at He
liOpOlis, in Egypt. Wishing to test
the power of the scorpion s suing, [ got
glass globe and turned in one of the
scorpions. A mouse having been
caught in the trap, thought [ might
just as well let the scorpion try his pow
ers upon it as the cat. [ therefore shook
the mouse into the glass with the SCOT
pion. The scorpion, an ayerage-sized
one, Immediately resisted the affrOnt;
and the mouse, who had never evident
ly seen a scorpion before, did not know
whether he was his friend or his enc
my. Not liking the continued jump
ingS of the mouse, the scorpion twist
ed and began brandishing about his
sting. The mouse shortly crossed his
path. The scorpion instantly lunged
his sting into him. This challenge
woke up the mouse, who began to
jump up and down like a jack in the
box. When he became quiet, the scOr-
pion again attacked the enemy, with
his claws extended like the pictures of
the scorpion in the zodiac. He made
another shot at the mouse, but missed
him. then called Time to give
both cOmbatants a rest. When the
mouse had got his wind, [ stirred up
the scorpion once more, and, as the
fancy say, he came up smiling The
mouse during the interval had evident
ly made up his mind that he would
have to fight, and not strike his col
ors to a scorpion, as he would
to a cat. When, therefore, the scor-
piOn came within range, the mouse
gave a squeak and bit him on the
back; the scorpion at the same time
planted his sting we'll between the
mOuse's ears on the top of his head.
The scorpion then tried to retreat, but
could not, for one claw had go en-
tangled in the fur of the mouse. The
mouse and scorpion then closed, and
rolled over each other like two cats
fighting, the scorpion continually stab
bing the mouse with his sting, his tail
! going with the velocity of needle in
| a sewing machine. When the scorpion
got tired, the mouse got hold of his tail
with his teeth and gave it a sharp nip.
The mouse seized the opportunity, and
immediately bit off two of the scOr-
piOn's side legs. He then retired, and
began to wash his face. [ had ex-
pected, of course, that the poison of
| the scorpion would have killed the
mouse, but he didn't seem a bit the
worse for it. When [ examined him
the next morning he was quite lively
and we'll, and had nearly eaten up the
whole of the scorpion for his break
! fast. Of course [ rewarded the mouse
for his plucky conduct by giving him
some milk, and byletting him go in a
| place where it Wis not likely the cat
would find him.
"Scorpions are inhabitants of hot
climates; they live among stones, logs
of wood, ETC., in such places, in fact,
as those inhabited in Eng and by wood
lice and centipedes, etc. They are
said to attain the length OF twelve
inches in Batavia; and along the Gold
Coast have heardC but hardly believe it,
they are found as big as a good-sized
lobster; the general size is about three
inches long. 1t not unfrequently hap
pens that scorpions are brought to En-
gland in timber ships, ETC.. and I have
received more than one scorpion thus
brought over