The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-03-15
HARITs OF SCORPIONS.
Alleged Fcrocity Questioned b. Careful
flhserzer.


Alleged Fcrocity Questioned b. Careful
Obseryer.
OF all the carn;roro,is and vcnomous
creatures scorpions have perhaps the
worst reputation. Among the vices
which they are accused Of are general
ferocity, cannibalism. infanticide and
suicide. But they have found a de-
fender in gentleman who kept sew
eral OF them fo- months as pcta and
observed them carefully. As to their
ferocity, he writes: IL never saw them
use thor destructive weapons eXcapt
in procuring food and as means OF
defense when attacked. Naturally
they do not like to be- han.ll d, but
when one lets them rul, over the hand
they do not try to sting: they hurry
away, seeming to want to get on
more congenial surface than the human
skin.
sit has been said that in captivity
they become cannibals and kill and eas
each other. ! saw them live together
cheerfully. and apparently understand
ing each other very we'll Only once
did I see large one eating little
one, and then, / think, the little ono
had died natural death. Like many
other animals, they can be excited to
combat by artificial means, but never
saw such battles hive any serious con-
sequences. The participants seemed TO
prefer to stop without shedding blood.
s"There has been much discussion as
to whether scorpions commit suicide
by plung;ng their stings into their own
bodies, when they are driven to despair
by being surrounded by ring OF ire,
or bv being otherwise tortured by that
dreaded element. Certain experiments
have shown that the scorpions venom
has no effect on himself nor upon
scorpion Of {. closely similar species,
and also that scorpions are quickly
killed by even moderate heat.
"When they are distressed by heat or
chloroiorr fumes they wayc their tails
in the air, and thrust out the sting as
il to strike some invisible enemy
Clearly the explanation OF some OF the
apparent suicides is that the animals
died Of heat, though their distressed
waving of the tail and sting might
have given the impression that thoy
had stung themselves.
"My own experiments point to this
conclusion. puta scorpion in glass
tube, and held him near fire; be gave
signs of great distress, beat the air
with his tail for several seconds and
then became unconscious. at tbs
moment the glass tub, was only slight
" warm to the hand. The animal re-
yiyed in the fresh air. twice repeated
the experiment; the third time he
died He had not once tried to sting
himself.
However, it mas been postti"e'y
stated by observers that scorpions have
stune themselves; in one case it was
said that blood spurted from the
wound. it is poss' DC that chance
blow directed toward an invisible
enemy might atr.ke the scorpion him
self. Certainly it IS easy to imagine
that his mental faculties might be de-
ranged by torture and the prospect OF
death, and that in his confusion he did
not recognize by sense OF touch bis own
BODY in his wild attempts to defend
himself. A sharp blow directed thus
might lacerate the brain or the great
dorsal blood vessel, anil cause death
independently of the venom CT the
sting.
$50 it seems to me that if it is ad-
mitted that the scorpions do some
times kill themselves, our verdict
should be accidental. suicide, Or suicide
from temporary insanity. Youths
Companion.