Chapter I. 

 PREJUDICE AGAINST SNAKES. 



There is a lot of undue prejudice and dislike 

 with regard to Snakes. It is true that the poison- 

 ous varieties should be feared, but it is not merely 

 fear of these, that creates the dislike prevalent 

 against the whole of the Serpent race. It is 

 Prejudice. People who have studied and written 

 books on these reptiles have nothing detrimental 

 to say against them. An attack by a lion or a tiger 

 is just as apt to terminate fatally as the bite of a 

 cobra, but the former are not regarded with the 

 same horror, with which people think of serpents. 

 This prejudice is due mostly to ignorance. It is Reasons fo 

 human nature to fear what we cannot understand. Inakes? °^ 



When you see a snake moving, without any 

 visible means of propulsion, you fear it, as it ap- 

 pears uncanny. 



When you see the fixed stare of a snake (due 

 to the absence of eyelids), you attribute it to hyp- 

 notic powers, and fear it more than ever. That 

 snakes actually exert hypnotic power to attract 

 their prey is a fallacy. A frog or rat coming sud- 

 denly upon a snake, may become partially paralysed 

 through fear, thinking that the snake is looking at 

 it, although at the time the serpent may be asleep, 

 but is unable to close its eyes owing to the absence 

 of eyelids. A frog or a lizard will often, under the 

 circumstances keep still, in a seemingly paralysed 

 condition, hoping that its protective coloration will 

 enable it to avoid observation. 



The much maligned snake is often referred to 

 by people, who have never handled or studied one, 

 as *' an ugly slimy thing." A snake on the contrary 

 is dry skinned, and is one of the most beautiful 



