There is an old story mentioned in Boswell’s Life of Johnson, that a scorpion if irritated by placing it within a ring of burning coals, will thrust its own sting into itself, and so commit suicide; Dr. Johnson doubted it, and remarked that Maupertuis did not credit it.
Bory de St. Vincent, in the classic “Dictionnaire d’Histoire Naturelle,” vol. 15, says he has tried the experiment, and the scorpions simply became suffocated.
There is reference to the suicide of scorpions in Nature, Vol. xi., p. 29, which speaks of irritating a scorpion by means of a burning glass, with the same result. In the next week’s number, p. 47, is another mention of a similar observation. At Vol. xx., p. 553, a writer denies the possibility of a scorpion striking itself, whilst at p. 577, Prof. Allen Thompson details hearsay instances of scorpions forcibly piercing their own heads by their recurved stings, when annoyed by a bright light.
Youatt, Wm., V. S., tells the story of an artillery horse which refused food, and died from starvation, after the death of another horse, with which he had long worked. See “The Horse.”
Dr. W. L. Lindsay is a copious writer on this subject. He fully believes in animal suicide, and speaks of old age, wounded feelings, pain, desperation, continued ill usage, captivity, and self-sacrifice as causes; and states that he has notes of instances occurring in the dog, horse, mule, camel, llama, ass, monkey, seal and deer; stork, cock, jackdaw and duck; spider and scorpion; he narrates also some of the cases for which I have given references. See “Mind in the Lower Animals.”
He gives also many very interesting examples of accidental self-destruction, such as the strangling of horses by their halters, when endeavouring to escape from a stable; that monkeys have cut their throats from imitating a man shaving; and that mice have been poisoned by eating greenbacks.
Some sorts of fish, as salmon, have been noticed to throw themselves out of the water, but it seems very doubtful whether this act is meant to be suicidal.
Voluntary deaths of animals during panic and terror, and from fascination, seem to intervene between accidental suicides, and suicides which appear to be the result of choice; such deaths are caused by the headlong flight of sheep when worried by a dog, or are caused by fires on the prairies; or by fascination, as seen in the case of moths in a candle flame.
Other instances of apparent suicide may be consulted, viz.:─
Suicide of,─
Dogs, by a railway train, see Freeman’s Journal, Dublin, 1878.
Some fowls, by drowning. Sir S. Baker. The Albert Nyanza. 1876.
Deer in America. Dr. Pierquin. Traité de la folie. 1839.
Storks in conflagrations. Houzeau, J. C. Etudes sur les facultés mentales des animaux. 1872.
Pike, from pain. Watson, J. S. The Reasoning Power of Animals. 1870.
Dog, from the pain of a seton. Wynter.
Spider. Gillies, R. On the Habits of Spiders. 1876.
Dog, by drowning. Shrewsbury Chronicle. Oct. 25, 1878.
Cat, by drowning. Notes and Queries. Oct. 19, 1878.