A Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a British author, created Sherlock Holmes, a fictional private detective. Holmes, referring to himself as a "consulting detective" in the stories, is well-known for his proficiency with his observation, inference, forensic science, and logical reasoning that borders on the incredible when investigating cases for various clients. Almost all stories were set in the Victorian eras between 1880 and 1914 and were narrated by the character of Holmes' friend, Dr. John H. Watson, who frequently joined Holmes during his investigations. He also shared a flat with Holmes at 221B Baker Street, London, where many episodes began.

B Holmes's clients vary from poor pawnbrokers and governesses to wealthy aristocrats and businessmen in Europe. In the beginning, he was only recognised in select groups but cooperated with Scotland Yard, a police agency. His successful work and the publication of Watson's stories, however, enhanced Holmes' reputation and made him an extremely famous detective. So many people called for his assistance instead of the police, so that, according to Watson, Holmes had "overwhelming practice" by 1896. Police outside London asked Holmes for his help if available. Even a Prime Minister and the King of Bohemia came to 221B Baker Street and requested Holmes's assistance in person. Some clients offered doubled pay, which implied that wealthy clients paid Holmes more than the set rate. In "The Adventure of the Priory School," he was paid a 6,000-pound fee when the annual income of a young professional was 500 pound. However, Watson said that Holmes would decline the case for the wealthy and renowned if he lost his interest.

C According to Watson, Holmes is a bohemian in his behaviour and lifestyle, also described as being fond of personal cleanliness like a cat. Holmes, however, is also an anomaly with no regard for common expectations of tidiness or decent order. Watson said, "His personal habits, as one of the most untidy people, drove a fellow-lodger to madness. He keeps cigars in the coal-scuttle, tobacco in the toe end of a Persian slipper, and his unanswered letters in the centre of his wooden mantelpiece. He dreads losing documents. "Thus, day by day his papers accumulated, until each comer of the room was stacked up with loads of manuscripts and books, which were in no way to be burnt or to be extracted by their owners.

D Except for Watson, Holmes avoids casual company. In "The Gloria Scott", he told Watson that he had only one friend at college for two years: "I was not a sociable man, Watson, I never mingled with men of my year" Also, the detective goes without food at the case of heavy mental engagement, claiming that "The faculties become refined when you starve them." At moments Holmes relaxes with music or playing the violin or listening to works of composers such as Wagner and Pablo de Sarasate.

E Homes is energetic and excitable, while he can be dispassionate and cold. He has a talent of showmanship, frequently keeping his tactics and evidence hidden until the last moment in order to impress observers. His co-workers forgive his willingness to bend the truth on behalf of clients lying to the police by removing evidence, or even breaking into houses when he thinks it is morally justifiable.

F The first two Sherlock Holmes stories, the novel "A Study in Scarlet" and "The Sign of the Four", were reasonably received well. However, Holmes first became exceedingly populer, when the first six short stories featuring the former characters were published in 1891 in The Stand Magazine. Holmes became a celebrity in Britain and America. In 1893, when Arther Conan Doyle killed off Holmes in the story "The Final Problem", public reaction to try to bring him back was so aggressive and unprecedented in fictional events. As a result of Holme's death, more than 20,000 readers cancelled their subscription. Public pressure finally contributed to the author writing another story of Holmes as a resurrected character. While not the first fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes is undoubtedly the best known. Until the 2000s, there were already more than 25,000 plays, films, TV programs featuring the detective, and he is listed as the most appeared literary character in film and television history by Guinness World Records.

G Holmes's success and reputation lead many to believe he is not a character in fiction, but a real person. A number of literary and fan communities have been founded on this pretence. Avid readers contributed to establishing the modem practice of fandom. The fiction and character have had a far-reaching and everlasting effect on mystery writing and mainstream culture as a whole, with the original stories, as well as thousands adapted into radio plays, TV, films, and even video games by authors other than Conal Doyle for over ten decades.

H Many fans sent letters to Holmes's address, 221B Baker Street. Though the address did not exst, those letters began to arrive at the large Abbey National building that first encompassed the address soon after it was built in 1932. The Sherlock Holmes Museum now holds the letters, and many of the people who sent the letter believed that Holmes was real. In a 2008 survey of British teenagers, over half of respondents believed that Sherlock Holmes was a real human.

I Crime fiction was established by The Sherlock Holmes stories as a respectable genre read by readers of all backgrounds, and Doyle's achievement inspired other detective stories. Holmes had a significant impact on the creation of other "peculiar gentleman detective" characters, like Hercule Poirot, published in 1920. Holmes also influenced a variety of antihero stories, as an antidote to the genius detective", such as the gentleman thief characters A.J.Raggles and Arsene Lupin.

What can be done to save the skink, one of New Zealand's most endangered lizards?

New Zealand's reptiles come in three forms: the tuatara, the geckos and the skinks. With their gleaming scales, long bodies and often surprisingly short limbs, skinks are instantly recognisable. There are more than 90 species, half of which still await formal description. Identification depends on where specimens are found, and such minutiae as the number of scales on their toes. Two of the largest species of skink—the grand and the Otago—are found only in Otago, in New Zealand's South Island.

Skinks, being reptiles, need to regulate their temperature, and lie on sunny rocks to absorb heat. However, the grand and Otago are the only kinds that do not hibernate through winter; when snow can fall even in summer in Otago, there is no point in them lying dormant for extended periods. Like all other New Zealand reptiles except tuatara and the egg-laying Suter's skink, they give birth to tiny baby lizards. Today, the Otago and grand skinks are lucky to reach five years of age in the wild, although in zoos or research centres they can live beyond thirty.

Unfortunately, extinction may loom for these reptiles. With any decline in New Zealand fauna, predation is always suspected, so the efforts of the Department of Conservation (DOC) have focused on controlling specific pests. An example was a six-year project to control the feral cats on the Otago Skink Reserve, launched in the 1990s. Despite the capture of hundreds of cats, skinks showed no signs of recovery. Indeed, there were further declines. The trapping programme also revealed rats and hedgehogs to be predators.

Parasite infections are also thought to be on the rise. Although no direct health implications have been detected the trend is a concern, as it may signal a subtle deterioration in the skinks' living environment. Infection with mites is suspected of inhibiting reproduction among captive animals.

Another potential threat is habitat loss. Eight hundred years ago, Otago was covered in forest. However, extensive burning produced wide open tussock country. The skinks' response to this change isn't known, nor what their habitat was in the earlier environment, with its predominance of shrubs and trees. Furthermore, recent intensive farming has led to poor soil. Even if we had the answer to the eradication of predators, we haven't a clue to the habitat we should be recreating for the skinks, or if where they persist is best for conservation.

It is also puzzling that grand and Otago skinks have persisted only in small, isolated populations on rocky outcrops. Why they cannot survive in the surrounding grassland, which appears similar in many respects, is unknown. Climate change poses a further, longer-term threat, potentially altering temperature patterns and food availability in ways that may not favor these specialist reptiles. A lack of fundamental knowledge about their ecology—what they eat, how they interact with other species, and their precise microhabitat needs—makes effective conservation planning difficult. Current efforts involve a combination of captive breeding programs, predator-free fencing around key sites, and ongoing research. The survival of these unique skinks will depend on solving the complex puzzle of intertwined threats, from predators and parasites to habitat degradation and our own limited understanding.