Year: 1876

we puollsh the following account O1
q fight between mouse and scorpion,


recently given by Mr.. Frank Buckland,


the celebrated naturalist:


"In February, 1865, received box


by post containing two live scorpions,


kindly presented to me by my friend,


the late lamented S. keast Lord, who


had caught them under a stone at He'll


opolis, in Egypt. Wishing to test the


power of the scorpions sting, ! got a


glass globe and turned In one of the


scorpions. A mouse having been caught


In the trap, l thought 1 might just as


well let the scorpion try his powers


upon 1t as the cat. therefore shook


the mouse into the glass with the scor-


pion. The scorpion, an average-sized


one, Immediately resisted the affront ;


and the mouse, who had never evidently


seen scorpion before, did not know


whether he was his friend or his enemy.


Not liking the continued jumpings of
the mouse, the scorpion twisted and be


gan 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 q
jack in the box. When he became quiet,
the scorpion again attacked the enemy,
with his claws extended like the pic
lures Of the scorpion in the zodiac. He
made another shot at the mouse, but
missed him. l then called 'Time! to
give both combatants a rest. When the
mouse had got his wind, 1 stirred up
the scorpion once more, and, as the
fancy say, 'he came up smiling The
mouse during the interval had evidently
made up his mind that he would have
to fight, and not strike his colors to a
scorpion as he would to a cat. When,
therefore, the scorpion came within
range, the mouse gave squeak and bit
him on the back; the scorpion at the
same moment planted his sting well
between the mouse's ears on the top of
his head. The scorpion then tried to
retreat, but could not, for one claw had
got entangled 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 a 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 biz of two of the scorpions
side legs. He then retired, and began
to wash his face. / had expected, of
course, that the poison of the scorpion
would have killed the mouse, but he
didn't seem bit the worse for it. When
I examined him the next morning, he
was quite lively and well; and had
nearly eaten up the whole scorpion for
his breakfast. Of course I rewarded
the mouse for his plucky conduct by
giving him some milk, and by letting
him 60 in a place where it was not
likely the cat could find him.


scorpions are inhabitants of hot cli-
mates; they live among stones, logs Of
wood, etc., IN such places, in fact, as
those inhabited in England by wood
lice and centipedes, etc. They are said
to attain the length of twelve inches in
Batavia; and along the Gold Coast,
have heard (but hardly believe it) they
are found as big as good sized lobster;
the general size is about three inches
long. 1t not uDfrequently happens that
are brought to England in
timber ships, etc., and have received
more than one scorpion thus brought
ovar ,,