2o8 Dwellers of the Sea and Shore 



touch the animal; yet less than two per cent did so, al- 

 though in each instance the request was made after 

 earnest assurance was given that the devilfish was harm- 

 less and would merely squeeze the hand. 



An extraordinary or repellent aspect in a lower ani- 

 mal is an almost certain obstacle to its finding any favor 

 with the multitude. That beauty or ugliness in any 

 creature, as in humans, may often be only skin deep, 

 so to say, seems not to be generally considered. To 

 the true naturalist, however, no creature is ugly. The 

 serious business of his life removes him from those 

 aversions commonly inspired by outward appearances. 

 This happy indifference, of course, most persons do not 

 share. But they ofttimes regard as forbidding, and 

 even unworthy of consideration, many living things 

 which a kindly attempt at acquaintanceship would re- 

 veal to be prepossessing and genuinely interesting. 



Now, while this is in a deep sense true of that class 

 of cephalopods just considered, it applies with special 

 significance to a group of animals in no way related to 

 them. And this group is the greatest in the animal 

 kingdom. It is the worms. Of all the creatures that 

 are universally held in aversion, none takes precedence 

 over these in popular contempt. Nor is this contempt 

 entirely without cause. The unwholesome experience 

 of mankind, gained largely through contact with de- 

 generate parasitic forms, has done much to create an 

 antipathy toward all the other members of the group. 

 Nevertheless, there is considerable interest attaching 

 to the worms, and a charitable inquiry into their ways 

 will amply repay the investigator. By far the greater 

 in number, both of species and individuals, are those 



