Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/721

 SCORPION SCOTLAND 697 large, and salivary glands distinct ; the urinary organs are ramified tubes opening into the clo- aca; the reproductive organs are double, at the base of the abdomen, and the sexes distinct; the two ventral nervous cords proceeding from the head form eight ganglia, the last four be- longing to the tail. Scorpions feed on insects, which they hold by their palpi and sting to death, and then suck the blood ; they are gen- erally found in dark places in warm climates, and in some tropical parts of the old world render whole districts uninhabitable ; they live on the ground, concealing themselves under stones, in ruins, in the interior of houses, and even in beds ; they run very fast, keeping the tail elevated and ready to strike in any direc- tion ; the females are larger and less numerous than the males. Under certain circumstances they kill and devour their own progeny ; they renew their skin several times, and can live very long without food ; gestation is said to continue nearly a year, the young being born alive and in succession. The scorpion has been known from the earliest antiquity, as its place in the ancient zodiac proves ; on Egyptian monuments Anubis is often represented as facing it as if to destroy its influence ; Pliny gives a long account of the fabled powers of this animal. The S. Europceus (Linn.), of southern Europe, is about an inch long, brown, with the feet and end of tail yellowish, and the palpi angular and heart-shaped ; the female produces her young alive in succession, carry- ing them on her back for a few days and pro- tecting them for about a month ; it has six eyes, and nine teeth in the comb ; its sting is harmless. The reddish scorpion (S. occitanm, Latr.) is a little larger, yellowish red, having the tail a little longer than the body with raised and finely notched lines ; there are eight eyes, and more than 30 teeth in the comb ; it is found in Spain and in N. Africa, but not with the preceding species ; its sting is more to be feared, and may be dangerous to persons of weak constitution. The black scorpion (S. afer, Linn.) is blackish brown, with the claws Black Scorpion (Scorpio afer). rough and a little hairy and the anterior edge of the corslet strongly emarginated ; there are eight eyes, and 18 teeth in the comb. It is found in Ceylon and other parts of the East Indies, and attains a length of 5 or 6 in. ; the sting is sometimes fatal ; the best remedy has been found to be ammonia externally and in- ternally, to neutralize the poison in the first case, and to guard against prostration in the other ; other caustics and stimulants are used, and embrocations of various kinds of oil. Nearly allied to the scorpions are the small book scorpions (chelifer), common in old books and neglected drawers. Small scorpions of the genus Iruchus are found in our southern states. SCOT, Reginald, an English author, died in 1599. He was educated at Oxford, but never took a degree, and passed the greater part of his life on his paternal estate near Smeeth in Kent. His " Discoverie of Witchcraft " (1584), in which he combats the popular opinion that the devil has the power of controlling the course of nature, was burned by the common hangman. James I. wrote his "Demonologie," he informs us, " chiefly against the damnable opinions of Wierus and Scot, the latter of whom is not ashamed in public print to deny there can be such a thing as witchcraft." Scot's work passed through three editions, and was translated into French and German. It is now exceedingly rare. In 1576 he published a " Perfect Platform of a Hop Garden." SCOTER. See DUCK, vol. vi., p. 291. SCOTLAND, a N. E. county of Missouri, bor- dering on Iowa, and intersected by the Wya- conda, North Fabius, and Middle Fabius riv- ers; area, 400 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 10,670, of whom 129 were colored. The surface is most- ly prairie, and the soil fertile. It is traversed by the Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska railroad. The chief productions in 1870 were 95,862 bushels of wheat, 30,035 of rye, 736,703 of Indian corn, 350,516 of oats, 45,246 of pota- toes, 18,328 tons of hay, 10,972 Ibs. of tobacco, 110,698 of wool, 327,960 of butter, 19,450 of honey, and 42,556 gallons of sorghum molasses. There were 5,898 horses, 919 mules and asses, 5,326 milch cows, 10,089 other cattle, 29,957 sheep, and 24,849 swine. Capital, Memphis. SCOTLAND, the N. part of the island of Great Britain, and one of the three kingdoms of the British empire in Europe. It consists of a mainland and several groups of islands on the N. and W. coasts, and is bounded N. and E. by the North sea, S. by England, from which it is partly separated by the river Tweed, and the Irish sea, and W. by the Atlantic ocean. The mainland extends from lat. 54 38' to 58 40' 30" N., and from Ion. 1 45' to 6 15' W. The extreme N. point of the islands is Unst, in the Shetland group, lat. 60 50', and their most westerly point St. Kilda, in the Hebrides, Ion. 8 35'. The greatest length of the main- land, from Dunnet Head in the north to the Mull of Galloway in the south, is about 280 m. ; and its greatest breadth, from Buchan Ness in the east to Ardnamurchan point in the west, about 170 m. The seacoast is extremely irregular, and so frequently and so deeply in- dented that its total extent is estimated at 3,000 m. By these indentations the breadth of the mainland is in some places greatly re-