The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-04
Scorpions and Centipedes.


met with, yet a sting from one is rare.
An instance coming within my observa-
ton was that of my chowkeedar, who |
had been stung during the night while |
asleep on his mat in corner of the |
veranda where the reptile had evidently |
dropped down from above l was |
awoke by loud "bapre-bap" and the
very familiar ''sapkatdyia'' ("Father, !
oh, father, snake has bitten mer') |
and, on going to the spot with light,
we discovered the assailant to be, not
snake, but scorpion, which was stand
ing motiOnless in the corner, still
angrily curving its tail-a discovery
which afforded unspeakable relief to
the chOwkeedar, who had thought his
last hours were come, and who now
with folded hands and upturned eyes
devoutly acknowledged his escape in
the exclamation: "Uohai Ram ii, jan
buchgaia' ("Mercy, oh, Ram, my life
| is spared!"D. He had pressed upon the
reptile, no doubt, while turning round,
and had been stung on the arm, which
rapidly swelled to a great size, accom-
panied by pain so excessive as to cause
a feeling OF faintness. With his mind,
however, relieved from the "worst," he
soon set about collecting herbs from
the compound and garden, under the
application of hot mashes of which the
pain gradually subsidized, and. along
with the swelling, disappeared in a
couple of days.
Being curious to watch the habits of
June tune seeEpian. / placed ore ,under q
glass case along with grassh0pper
two inches long, whose sharp-spiked
legs constituted its strong natural de-
Tense. For awhile the scorpion took
no notice of the wild leaps of his COM
panion, though every now and again it
struck against him in rebounding from
the glass cover, but at length, irritated
by the continuance of these, it assumed
the offensive. After several unsuccess-
full clutches, he managed to seize with
his toes leg of the grasshopper, which
he held in his Jaws, while endeavoring
to transtiX him with his sting, till he
succeeded in driving it through and
through him. The leaps of the grass
hopper now speedily grew feebler, and
soon he lay motionless and dead. For
twenty-four hours the scorpion took no
further notice of his companion, and
then, pressed by hunger, he bethought
himself of him, and speedily devoured
him.
Like the scorpion the centipede also
seems partial to grasshoppers, when it
can get them. An enormously maSni-
fed copy as it is of the little home
centipede, the sight of one five or six
inches long, with its multitude of pre-
hensile feet all moving at once, and its
long feelers steering its way, causes an
involuntary creeping of the flesh. Once
while reclining on q sofa perusing a
daily paper after midday breakfast,
preparatory to turning i'm for the
customary siesta, | was surprised by q
humping against q newspaper which
, was lying in a corner of the room, and
the continuance of the sound induced
, me to jump up to ascertain the cause,
suspecting, of course, a snake and frog.
{ The raising of the paper disclosed q
oentipede of about five inches long,
, holding in its Jaws a large grasshopper,
which he was quietly following out
, without the least regard to the frantic
kicks of his victim, which had Occa-
stoned the noise against the paper.
, Nor did he seem disposed to relnquish
so choice morsel, but allowed himself
! W De JuIGGu ONeI anu over WlJuOuJ even
? relaxing his hold, and as the grass
hopper could not physically recoup his
, loss, | let the deyourer continue, till in
quarter of an hour only the shell re-
manned, and only then did the dimin.
ishing kicks of the grasshopper cease
t altogether.
On another occasion, in the hot montl
of May, during my morning ablu
, tions, while raising the sponge to my
| face, was met by the near view of an
, ugly pair of horns, followed by head
S emerging from one of the pores. No
an instant too soon, | dropped it dowr
| again on the basin stand, upon which
3 the full length of hideous centipede
D gradually unwound itself.
[ Such are instances of the way these
1 reptiles are come upon now and AGAR
in India, generally when and where
' least expected, and showing the wari
Q ness people require to practice in every
1 movement, even in lifting book OF
r paper, or putting the hand anywhere
t where the eye does not also reach. The
bite of the centipede is rarely heard of
/. but it is more or less poisonous, and
d like the sting of the scorpion, is consid
e sidered serious to children.-AU h
: Year Round. a