ALABAMA AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES, 49 



COLLECTING AND PRESERVING OF REPTILES AND AMPHIBI- 

 ANS FOR SCIENTIFIC AND MUSEUM PURPOSES 



While scientifically the Reptiles and Amphibians may 

 not be as closely related as has heretofore been conceded, 

 yet the mode of collecting and preserving specimens is 

 very similar, and for this reason may be treated under 

 the same heading. 



Unfortunately the average person seems to be inspir- 

 ed with fear and antipathy for these most useful and gen- 

 erally speaking harmless animals, adults and children 

 alike consider it a religious duty, yes indeed! a heroic 

 performance to kill at sight any animal that looks like a 

 snake, not a thought do they give to the probability that 

 such are placed in this world for some other purpose 

 than to be a menace to human life. 



There is, of course, the possibility, that many species 

 may have outlived their usefulness and purpose, but the 

 fact stands today that the great majority of these ani- 

 mals are performing a service to man that can not be 

 replaced, and hardly over-estimated. In economic im- 

 portance to agriculture and horticulture they may be 

 classed equal to the birds and supplementing these in 

 the task of keeping destructive insects and rodents with- 

 in bounds. Nature adapted them to penetrate into un- 

 derground nests and burrows and other places inacces- 

 sible to birds. It is unthinkable, that just the love of 

 killing prompts the destruction of these harmless crea- 

 tures, and nearly all such acts must be attributed to ig- 

 norance of the life and habits of these animals ; in other 

 words, to a lack of education. 



The study of natural history in our public schools, has 

 been much neglected, at least in the South. At best this 

 study in a schoolroom does not interest the average child, 

 but take him or her out into the fields and woods and 

 show them nature alive, and the subject takes on an al- 

 together different aspect. 



To meet and get a speaking acquaintance with our rep- 

 tiles and our toads, frogs and salamanders, we must 

 know where and when to look for them. 



