EGYPTIAN SCORPION.
A fairly large and venomous representative of the group.
The Jointed Spiders are creatures 1 or 2 inches long, remarkable for having the head and the segments of the thorax separated from each other, so as to form distinct divisions of the body. They have rather long and very hairy legs, and only one pair of well-developed eyes, another pair being rudimentary. Some species are diurnal and others nocturnal in their habits. They feed on insects, and sometimes on small birds, etc., and can inflict a very painful bite. They are found in South-eastern Europe, Africa, Southern Asia, and from the Southern States of North America south to Chili and Argentina.
Photo by Highley.
EGYPTIAN SCORPION.
Shows the sting uplifted for attack.
The False Scorpions, or Book-scorpions, are small animals resembling scorpions in shape, but with no sting, and the abdomen not narrowed into a tail. They are sometimes found in houses among dusty old books, as well as out of doors among moss, or under stones or bark. Sometimes they cling to the legs of flies; they are believed to feed on mites and other small creatures, but not to injure the flies, only employing them as a convenient method of being conveyed from one place to another.
Photo by Highley.