324 SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATIONS [Soc 



lentless fury, and may think himself fortunate if he escapes. 

 Then comes a curious result. The conqueror assumes brighter 

 colours and a more insolent demeanour, his green is tinged with 

 gold, his scarlet is of a triple dye, and he charges more furi- 

 ously than ever at intruders or those whom he is pleased to 

 consider as such. But the vanquished warrior is disgraced ; he 

 retires humbly to some obscure retreat, he loses his red and 

 green and gold uniform, and becomes a plain civilian in drab. 



c. 



Sneakism. v 



Unfortunately there is a good deal of sneakism to be found 

 in society ; but as it is not polite to give any example painted 

 from life, we may have a very coherent notion of the spirit of 

 the offence if we notice that embodiment of it which is to 

 be seen in the lion-worm. The lion-worm is a curious and 

 voracious little creature, having a tapering form, the head 

 being more pointed than the tail. Like the ant-lion, that for- 

 midable insect, it makes a species of cavity in the loose earth, 

 and there waits in ambuscade for its prey. A portion of its 

 body lies concealed under the sand, the rest stretches across the 

 bottom of the den, and appears so stiff and motionless that at 

 first sight it might be taken for a bit of straw, half an inch in 

 length. If, however, any insect in search of food should happen 

 to walk into the cave of the lion-worm, the little morsel of 

 stubble in an instant becomes all animation, falls like a serpent 

 on its prey, and winding its body in coils around its victim, 

 compresses it to death, and sucks out the juices by means of a 

 couple of hooks fixed to its head. No one can observe these 

 actions without coming to the conclusion that sneakism in men or 

 worms is just the same thing, with merely a change of method 

 and appliances suitable to the place and occasion. p. 



Traits of Social Character. 



Considerable variety exists in the mental characters not only 

 of men but of different mollusks. One mollusk, apparently like 

 the anchorite, loves to dwell alone, another prefers society, a 



