THE SLOW-WORM, ANGUIS FRAGILIS 25 



which species an astonishing amount of ignorance 

 still prevails. The fact that this unfortunate lizard 

 is devoid of external limbs is quite sufficient to assure 

 its being regarded as a " poisonous snake " in the 

 minds of rustics and others, and accordingly it is 

 pitilessly persecuted wherever it is at all common. 

 Happily it is so protectively coloured as to frequently 

 escape observation, and its habit of lying perfectly 

 still — hence the term slow- worm — also assists it to 

 elude notice. Were it not that nature thus comes 

 to the rescue, this and other species of perfectly 

 harmless and beautiful reptiles would soon become 

 extinct. Whatever excuse there may be for this 

 mental attitude in the uneducated classes, there is 

 certainly none for its prevalence amongst those who 

 regard themselves as lovers of animals ; and yet it is 

 astonishing how some people can detest lizards, who 

 are fond of many other species of animals. I know 

 a naturalist who handles wasps and other creatures 

 which sometimes behave in anything but a friendly 

 way, but who would not handle a slow-worm under 

 any consideration whatever. Even field naturalists, 

 or perhaps one should say, members of field clubs, 

 occasionally exhibit extraordinary lack of knowledge 

 about the slow-worm ; in proof of which I may men- 

 tion that on no less than ten occasions since 1899 I 

 have had reports of the occurrence of the rare British 

 snake, the smooth snake (Coronella austriaca), every 

 one of which turned out upon investigation to be 



