500 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 
Bracklyn Falls is another habitat, in the neighbourhood 
of Callander, and Mr Hugh Miller, jun., tells me a 
friend of his captured one in the Pass of Leny in April 
last. In Peeblesshire, according to “Chambers’s History ” 
of that county (p. 528), it was then (1864) known only 
in Megget, but, like the viper, was “abundant in that 
wild district.” No specimen from the county has yet 
come under my own observation, or that of any of my 
correspondents. 
While staying at Fearnan, Loch Tay, a year or two ago, 
I had a good opportunity of witnessing the ignorant per- 
secution to which this inoffensive creature is everywhere 
subjected in the Highlands. On a sheltered bank in the 
vicinity of the crofts, and adjoining a large garden, they were 
unusually numerous, and during the first warm days of May 
were constantly to be seen basking in the sun’s rays. I 
endeavoured to intercede on their behalf, catching and 
handling them to prove their harmlessness, and stating at 
same time how useful they might be about the crofts and 
gardens, seeing they feed largely on slugs; but all to no 
purpose: no sooner was one observed than it was attacked 
with sticks and other missiles, its destruction being hailed 
with satisfaction by old and young alike. In the course of 
three or four days I counted about two dozen that were thus 
destroyed. 
As the result of my own observations on the Slow-worm, 
IT am inclined to think that the power of parting with its 
tail, when attacked or alarmed, has been much exaggerated by 
some writers. Anything like voluntary throwing off of the 
tail I have never seen, indeed, it has only been when consider- 
able force was being used to prevent the creature making good 
its escape among rough herbage or into a hole that I have 
witnessed the severance. Ona smooth surface, such as that 
of a table for instance, I have frequently taken them by the 
tail and drawn them towards me without it breaking. I 
have, however, seen the tail of a lizard snap off and jerk 
about on the ground when the animal was suddenly struck 
at with a stick; but whether this was the actual effect of 
the blow or not I cannot say. ” 
