48 The Ottawa Naturaxist. [May 



happen to anyone in the dark which is not liable to occur in daylight. 

 If children were made to understand this by giving- them definite 

 information concerning the imagined sources of danger, how many 

 pangs of anguish would be spared ! 



Inaccurate statements about animals, birds, insects and 

 reptiles are the cause of much unfounded fear, which not only 

 produces unhappiness, but prevents the doing of important duties 

 or the performance of many kind acts. How much happier many 

 would be, were they convinced of the fact that such a thing as a 

 true record of an actual instance of a wolf attacking a human 

 being in North America is unknown, notwithstanding the state- 

 ments to the contrary, which frequently appear in the press and in 

 books on natural history ! Just as inaccurate are the accounts of 

 supposed injuries by spiders, which are generally but falsely 

 accused of biting children. Many other inoffensive insects, such 

 as caterpillars, dragonflies and beetles are dreaded, and too fre- 

 quently ignoranriy destroyed as deadly enemies of the human 

 race, which have no possible power to do us any harm. 



Again, reptiles of all kinds are as a rule very much dreaded, 

 but, except in the few localities where rattlesnakes occur, we 

 have no venomous reptiles in Canada. In fact, it may be truly 

 said that, if we leave out of consideration mosquitoes and a few 

 other flies, there is practically no wild reptile, beast, bird or insect 

 in our woods which will or even can do us any harm. 



Nature study will do away with a vast amount of this lack 

 of knowledge, and to a large degree will increase tfie happiness 

 and contentment of those who are drawn to nature for solace, 

 recreation and rest, and are thus enticed into the leafy woods and 

 dewy fields to study the many beautiful, fascinating and instruc- 

 tive objects there to bj found. 



