American homes and gardens . pion was drowned. In the Tierra Templada of Mexico there is a localityknown as the Valley of Scorpions, because of the extraor-dinary numbers of these creatures found there. It is saidto be hardly possible to turn over a stone without discover-ing three or four wicked-looking specimens beneath. Theyare not large, as a rule, but are of a pale color and reputedvery dangerous—the pale hue, according to popular belief atleast, being a bad sign. A pity it is that more is not knownabout the venom of scorpions, which, it might be men-tioned, are often fetched from the tro
American homes and gardens . pion was drowned. In the Tierra Templada of Mexico there is a localityknown as the Valley of Scorpions, because of the extraor-dinary numbers of these creatures found there. It is saidto be hardly possible to turn over a stone without discover-ing three or four wicked-looking specimens beneath. Theyare not large, as a rule, but are of a pale color and reputedvery dangerous—the pale hue, according to popular belief atleast, being a bad sign. A pity it is that more is not knownabout the venom of scorpions, which, it might be men-tioned, are often fetched from the tropics to our own sea-ports in bunches of bananas. Their sting is evidently in-tended merely as a defensive weapon, and is not employedfor killing the insects which they pursue for food. In temperate latitudes ants, while frequently an annoyance,are never dangerous. Naturally, then, it is difficult for usto realize the perils which occasionally threaten human inhab-itants of the tropics when they are obliged to fly for their. Electric-light Bug. An insect vampire said to suck the blood of fishes lives from such insects, which, marching in great armies, arenot to be resisted by any known means whatsoever. Theso-called driver ants of Africa, for example, move in col-umns sometimes a mile in length, and they turn aside fornothing. If a house happens to be in their path, the inmates December, 1906 AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 387 have no choice but to vacate the premises, else they wouldbe quickly killed and eaten. Cattle and horses are oftendestroyed, and even elephants and the largest serpents areassailed, their skeletons, picked perfectly clean, being leftbehind to mark the route pursued by the ants. The driver ants are quite large—about an inch in lengthand thick-set. They have very sharp, sickle-shaped jaws,with which they literally bite out pieces of the flesh of a per-son or animal attacked. At the same time they thrust intothe victim a poisonous sting which they carry at th
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