THE WOODLANDS. 267 



CHAPTER XVI. 



SLUGS AND SNAILS. 



WE almost despair of exciting any sympathy in 

 the attempt to develop an interest in "Slugs and 

 Snails." Every one has for himself arrived at the 

 conclusion that they are nasty, slimy things, which 

 could not possibly exhibit any redeeming feature. 

 Prejudice is a very powerful enemy, still we are 

 bound to ignore it in dealing with natural objects, 

 affirming meanwhile that nothing which has been 

 created is without fitness for the station it is designed 

 to fill, or without use in the great economy of which 

 it forms a part. We possess no privilege to despise 

 the meanest thing which crawls, and undoubtedly 

 we know least of the objects we dislike the most. 

 We should rather distrust ourselves in regarding any 

 living thing as beneath our notice, because, accurately 

 interpreted, it only means an expression of our own 

 ignorance. It may be taken for granted, that those 

 who estimate most highly the Creator's works, even 

 the humblest, are those who investigate them most 

 and know them best. 



Snails and slugs, especially the former, have few 

 personal attractions for strangers, yet they improve 

 upon acquaintance; and we venture to think that 



