The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-04-06

leaves and rubbish, quickly secrete them
selves and await their opportunity for al
vantageous assault. Soon, we'll knowing
the habits of these auxiliary foes besetting
us, we were melted to vigilsnt precautions
in selecting and preparing our sitting or
sleeping places. A little want OF care In
this might cost swift and severe penalty
ills which even the utmost circumspection
would not always avert.
In the scorpion-infested regions, having
neither chairs no campstools In the held'
nor aught for mere convenience, II follow
ed, as we'll on the march rs in camp or
bivouac, that the natural place to sit or re-
cline, was, according to original principles,
on the ground. Somewhat perilous to do
this without previous, thorough eXamina'
ton, from instant liability to their unman'
nerly attentions-to get stung by them In
announcement parts. Some of the officers
and men of the sd were serious sufferers
from scorpion stings.
Lieut.. J. d. Hatfield, of Co. II, among
others, carelessly sitting upon the ground
at one time, was struck by one and expe'
rienced horrible results. Severe fever
with delirium, abscess and destructive ul'
ceration, placed him In but narrowest
chances of recovery with his life. The
more critical his case, because still suffer
ing from the effects OF bullet wound In
the angle of his jaw, received at the battle
of Hatchie River.
Lieut.. Anderson, of Co. G, was stung In
the heel by one which had bestowed itself
In his shoe, which he had left OIL while
sleeping; from the effects of which he was
long disabled; believe was mustered out
of service on account Of 1t.
At Allatoona Mountain, in the summer OF
"a, where the creatures had special resi-
dence, sudden alarm one night turning
out the regiment, Col. McClanahan hasti
" drawing on his boots felt something In
one, and Instantly pulling it off, barely es
capped the serious consequences of be-
log stung by a scorpion which had crawled
In there.
They never otherwise afflicted me than
through disgust and apprehension. The
snakes were my nearer besetments, though
neither ever succeeded in "effecting per
sonal contact"
recommend as good reading" inter
esting and suggestive, the full scientific
description and history of the Scorpion, in
Chambers's Encyclopedia. The conse'
quences OF misguided love, and the sacred
name of mother are In that history most
horribly travestied. The ingratitude of
children injudiciously INDUCED, and the
dreadful fate awaiting the parents who
have not properly disciplined them in their
early youth, are there most signally H.
lustrated Like the silkworm, which
lays its eggs and dies" the mother scor-
pion forfeits existence to her first brood.
She produces immensely. They Literally
cover her-all parts of her, including her
equipments. Evidently she Is not displeas-
ed at having so numerous family. Not
long before the numerous progeny become
very viable, rapidly increase in size; are
more and more cumbersome to her. Try
Ing to COLOMBO them abroad, they unitedly
rebel, combine their forces and devour all
they can make available of her, leaving
nothing but shells and traces of the mother,
so treacherously victimized by filial ingrat-
itude.
Finding the centipede-not merely Its
rudiment, as sometimes In northern states
short OF the West Indies, surprised me.
We sometimes found them In full outfit,
for the performance of their
specialties, through the Gulf States. For
such stealthy, inslnuating, deadly crea-
lures, to whose intimate attentions we were
all so much exposed, II ever seemed next
TO miraculous that we escaped serious con-
sequences from this enemy, among the
other southern contingents Insect at once
suggests to the mind small, inconsider-
able creature, rather annoying than dan
gerous though In some places imperillng
even life, to man and beast, from its i'm
mense numbers and irritating bites and
stings Well known that some districts on
the globe are rendered uninhabltable by
them. But surely, nowhere In the animal
kingdom can there be, In this age of the
world, so wide range in individual size
as In the insect species. Insects like midg.
cts, and other what, seem like clouds of
dust, after summer showers, and
often born of them, almost microscopic in
minuteness From that up TO flies, bugs,
and bees, to crabs and scorpions. From
that to the edible lobster; from that to the
gigantic cephalopod-Devil Fish-with
those terrible, deyelish, branches, of thilty
to forty feet long, 80 horribly destructive
and powerful Are these inconceivably
frightful creatures later creation within
the caves of ocean, or have they been but
horrid visions and dreams, foretokening
La Tor