PREJUDICE AND CRUELTY.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—The boy recorded in your columns (August 22nd, p. 246), belaboured the toad with his stick simply on the ground that " he war a toad," and therefore indubitably venomous. These prejudices against ugly, evil-looking rep- tiles are not confined to boys, and are slow to die out. Some time since, I saw a man throwing big stones into a piece of water. On being asked what he was doing, he replied : " Killing o' heffets." On my remonstrating with him on the cruelty of his proceedings, newts (his " heffets "), as I assured him, being very harmless creatures, he plainly told me I knew nothing about it. " Them's varmingers," he said ; " they're chock-full of pison." Like your boy, he had always been told. that newts were nasty, venomous creatures, to be put out of the way whenever met with, and he believed it. How many of our prejudices against persons and races, parties and sects, rest on no better foundation !—I am, Sir, &c.,
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