156 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



of Rockhall, about three miles from this town, he turned up 

 the body of a pretty large adder which he had fairly 

 decapitated before he was aware. This circumstance 

 exciting a suspicion that there were more adders about 

 this spot, he dug a little deeper, when at about 8 inches 

 below the surface he lighted upon a whole encampment of 

 these noxious animals. In particular he took out no fewer 

 than forty adders, which he placed in a box and exhibited 

 in this town as a natural curiosity. Nineteen of those 

 appeared to be full grown, and measured from 1 8 inches 

 to 2 feet ; but at the time we got a peep at this precious 

 family they had all died except two, although these were 

 sufficiently vivacious, and placed themselves in an attitude 

 of defence the moment they were molested. But what is 

 still more surprising, in the same hole there were found ten 

 toads, and an amazing number of small brown lizards of the 

 species well known in Scotland by the name of Ask. This 

 last is to us quite a novel fact, although its authenticity can 

 be established beyond the possibility of doubt. In this 

 country it is no uncommon thing to dig up adders even of a 

 larger size than any of those mentioned above, but we never 

 before heard of such a number being found in one hole, and 

 in such company." 



The next paragraph to be given concerns another class 

 of facts in the life-history of the adder. The editor of the 

 " Courier," under date 2Oth June 1826, says : " A respectable 

 correspondent, who communicates his name, mentions the 

 following striking fact. His letter is dated 5th June curt. 

 ' A circumstance of rather an extraordinary nature came 

 under my observation this forenoon. When fishing in the 

 Garple burn, beside the Holm Mill, I caught an eel about 

 2 feet long, which appeared to have recently swallowed 

 something of considerable size. I showed it to several 

 persons, who were also struck with its bulk. I then laid 

 open the animal with my penknife, expecting to find a 

 trout, or perhaps a frog in its stomach ; when, to my 

 surprise, I discovered an adder, about 7 inches in length, 

 quite entire, together with a piece of another which, from its 

 thickness, must have been from 15 to 1 6 inches in length. 

 That eels do eat vipers is a fact in natural history with 



