CHAPTER XXXIX 



INTRODUCTION TO THE CLASS OF REPTILES 



THE Point of View. — In studying or not studying the 

 world of reptiles, everything depends upon the point of 

 view. With persons in middle life, who hold up their hands 

 and shudder at the mention of the word "reptile," there is 

 nothing to be done. They are victims of an unreasoning 

 prejudice that often is deliberately taught to young people, 

 both by precept and example, until at last it becomes bone 

 of their bone and flesh of their flesh. Human children are 

 not born with the inherited fear of reptiles which is so char- 

 acteristic of the apes and monkeys of the jungles; and it is 

 not fair to terrorize their innocent souls with awful "snake 

 stories," any more than with the "ghost stories" which most 

 careful parents forbid. 



With young people whose minds have not been artificially 

 warped by older persons who abhor all reptilian life, much 

 may be done. 



Now, come! Let us reason together. 



Despite electricity and steam, this world is yet a fairly 

 large place. That it has existed through countless ages, and 

 that its animal life has gone through many marvellous trans- 

 formations, no one can deny, without being put to shame by 



