CARGO OF SCORPIONS

Evening Star, Issue 18030, 26 July 1922, Page 8

CARGO OF SCORPIONS

BY BLANK FROM BAGDAD. Oho of .the strangest cargoes ever carried .by an aeroplane has just reached the Loudon Zoo. It consists of a tarantula spider, two tropical scorpions, and two bronze beetles, which were brought all the way from Bagdad by air. Unfortunately the tarantula died on the journey, much to the regret of the society, for the 'specimen was a genuine tarantula —not one of the bird-eating spiders erroneously known ’by that 'name—and would hare been new to the collection. However, it is to be “pickled” in formalin, and will be exhibited in the lobby of the insect house.

Each of the two scorpions, which are living embodiments of the familiar phrase “ tails up,” has a home to itself; otherwise there would soon bo only one to hol'd the aerial record, of the scorpion world. ~ ,

Unlike Continental scorpions, which, owing to their, lore .of moisture, may be termed “wets,” these “heavy-weight champions” of the tropics arc “drys,” and nave been provided with miniature deserts. While the sting of the “wets” is no more troublesome than that of a. bee, the “days” cart inflict a wound which has been compared with the bite of a venomous snake. " V

Catering for the hectics is a more ditficult task, for it is not known what they feed on, but, by way of experiment, they have been given dandelion. Yet a desert beetle opposite, which also came from Bagdad, has apple and banana!