CHAPTER III 
UNNATURAL NATURAL HISTORY 
HAT old beliefs die hard is well exemplified 
A in regard to Natural History, for, not¬ 
withstanding the much vaunted cry of advanced 
education at the present day, it is astonishing 
to note how many errors are still regarded as 
truths concerning the various members of 
the animal creation. Unfortunately, these 
misconceptions are often of a very mischievous 
nature, and many a harmless or even beneficial 
creature is unjustly maligned and persecuted 
without cause. 
Let us take the case of the slow-worm or 
blind-worm, for instance, a creature that is 
a boon to gardeners on account of its habit 
of feeding almost entirely upon slugs. Many 
people are under the impression that it is a 
snake whose bite is as dangerous as that of 
an adder, but in spite of its snake-like appear¬ 
ance the reptile is really a legless lizard, while 
it is extremely gentle, quite harmless, and 
never attempts to bite a person attempting 
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