BRITISH REPTILES AND 

 AMPHIBIANS 



CHAPTER 1 



INTRODUCTORY 



The word "reptile" is not a pleasant one in British 

 phraseology from whatever point it may be viewed. 

 To the average person the word denotes a loathsome 

 creature that crawls subtly amongst the herbage, and 

 whose very touch means danger. This aversion is not 

 confined solely to the reptiles which are poisonous or 

 otherwise dangerous. For instance, the Adder, which 

 is the only British reptile that is provided with a 

 poison fang, is no more dreaded in our Island than the 

 innocent Slow-worm. The like feeling is experienced 

 in handling a common Earth-worm. There is a decided 

 sensation of clammy coldness when the hand comes 

 into contact even with this animal, and this disagreeable 

 feeling makes one instinctively shrink from the writhing 

 body. However elegant the student's eye may deem 

 a reptile's form, the fact remains that ordinary human 



B. R. i 



