The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-04
SCORPIONS AND csNTlPEoES
Their Stings Are Not so Dangerous as L,
Commonly Reported

Commonly Reported
'No. don't believe that the sting Of
any scorpion would kill q human be-
ing. save, perhaps, under extraordinary
conditions In southern ATTITUDES
wounds of any kind are more dangerous
than in cooler climates, and the setting
IN of fever may produce fatal results
The speaker was DR.. George Marx, Of
Washington, who is recognized as the
greatest authority on arachnids in this
country.
scorpions are tropical animals" he
added They do not get very far
north. They live under the bark Of
long-leaved pines in the northern part
of their range, and. inasmueh as trees
of that kind do not occur in this vicin-
tty, they find no suitable domicile here
aboutS- Such pines grow in Baltimore
county, Nd, and so a species of scor-
pion exists there. II is yellow with
brown stripes and measures about two
inches in length.
The biggest scorpions in the world
are those OF India, which attain
length of six inches In California
scorpions four and one-half inches long
are found. They are the largest that
occur in America. Between them and
the smallest species are many. The
sting of small one Is about as severe
as that of wasp, and the effects Of it
soon pass.
The scorpion carries its tail over its
back and snaps it backwards for the
purpose of inhicting sting. II has
two poison glands side by side in the
last joint Of its tail. II = said that
scorpions viii comm suicide bv sting
ing themselves to deatheyhen they ara
put into circle of burning charcoal.
don't know whether this is true or not;
the question has not been cleared up.
Scorpions live on beetle laryse and
slow running insects. They conceal
themselves under the bark of trees in
the day time, and pursue their prey at
night. The whip-tailed scorPions-so
called because of a peculiar apPendags
of which the use is not kuown--are not
poisonous. For the purpose OF defense
they squirt fine streams of fluid that
smells like vinegar Doubtless. il IS
Offensive TO some Of their enemies.
Every now and then one reads in the
newspapers a frigi.ful story about =
centipede. According 20 these accounts
the animal Is just a bit more Danger
Gus than a rat.lesnake. Not only is its
bite fatal. but it carries poison ia tho
CLAWS with which its numerous LEGS ara
terminated. Crawling over mans
bare H,sh it burns li15 fire. To move
l. a.. IA - g
it, elven0n.d feet into the victim. who
viii presently be reduced to the conIi- .
ticn Of a loathsome and bloatej corpse. .
All Of this is purest fable.
An expert IN ccntipedes is attached
to the Smithsonian Institution. lts
knows all ABOUT the creatures. and he .
says that the bite Of one Of these ani- F.
mails is less poisoning shan tac sting e /
the scorpion. That il could ever XII .
anybody IS most unlikely. The claws T.
are sharp and unpleasant % feel when I.
a centipede walks over the bare skin,
but they have no venom.
There are two distinct types OF cent? /
pedes- One of them may be termed .
the true centipede type. with Hat
body and only one pair Of legs on each
segment The largest forms are all
poisonous. Whether the smaller ones .
are so is undetermined. The Jaws Of
this kind of centipede are perforated
by channels which convey the poison /.
into the wound made by the bite Tho .
action is somewhat the same a. in tha 4
case OF : venoInOus serpent.
The other type Of centipede "a built
on the thousand-leg plan, and attains .
a length of ten inches. The biggest IN f.
this part of the world Will not exceed
five inches. 1t has four legs 20 each I
segment, and sometimes a. many as 4
sixty-fSe segments. II isessy % count /
uphow many legs that makes. Though 7
not as many as ono thousand, they ara .
sufficient. This style OF centipeds =
never poisonous. Centipsdes feed on \
rotten wood and other dccayiuz veze- /
table material They live in the ground .
and among rotten leaves and wood.
In some part, Of the world eeutipede,
are regarded with superstiti0ua ven.ra-
tiop. a friend OF the writer's once VS.
tied Buenos Ayres ana engaged a room /.
at q boarding house lie found eight
large ceutipcdes IN his quarters before
lie vent 70 dinner. Having killed them
he informed the land.ady OF the circum-
stance She expressed the utmos,
grief and declared that the destruction
OF the creatures would take away ali
good ldcA from her establishment for
eight years 20 come--oue year for each
centiJede.
CeBIipedes. as well a. great spi der-,
are Sometimes brought % this country
from The tropics W u fruit. They a-s
often found hidden ia punches ~ Ia
nzEsS Scorpions maze the voyage "A
the SINE wav- A naval osScer told me
star writer that n warm latitudes =
scosrFious are spt 70 ga on b5ard ship
IND Conceal themsel 10 shoes or other
zarzrents II : not pleasant % pa:
one = arm Ia the sleeve % = coat and %
tHi a. unioOSec-f0r seSTP.oa there.
] hr arach rid II fresh iutrzce-. =
IIksly 20 Dc very much more po so1o-1,
: al Us bite correspond 1xiy more -
Eel@ than after q has been Ca The 49,
Iel for while hlcago JOaraa1
A new material for covering pillows
md cushions for boats aBa yachts Cor
hammoczs znd rattsE coucars is . ve~s
flexible mating cloth u is Ans ard
.-o---y woven, AL should - F~-y
durable Whsa soiled Il cAa De bruised
. I'D wiped a-ith a eloih dipped ia at
water n tzs sane Wy tEst raatt-lzs
sre cleaned ,. coUes Ia hs.f zsa
iirsrsnt eol0rings, the prest-est e
VI ch are dRr< terra Gotta BIEst 1Tiih