70 OUR REPTILES. 



walk to Kenilwortb, about two miles from the village where he 

 lived. Under one part of the road flows a small brook. The boy- 

 had his dog with him, and he wished to see whether he would 

 follow him across, as the stream was shallow, and there were 

 some large stones to step upon. The opposite bank is rather 

 steep, and there were several large pieces of wood and roots 

 projecting from it. One of his leggings was caught in the roots 

 and became unfastened, whereupon he sat down on one of the 

 stumps torefasten it and watch his dog in the water, but not for 

 more than two or three minutes. They then started off again, 

 and had not gone more than a quarter of a mile before the boy 

 felt a sharp pain in his wrist, On looking at his wrist he saw 

 plainly, and to his great horror, three little punctures and 

 places, as though a nettle had stung him. His first impression 

 was that he had been bitten by an adder, and he immediately 

 tried to bite out the piece of flesh. The first time he could not 

 manage it, and after two unsuccessful attempts, the third time 

 he bit out the flesh, sucked the wounded part, and at intervals 

 spitting out the poisoned blood. 



Being fond of natural history, he remembered reading some of 

 the particulars about the bite of an adder, and was frequently in 

 the habit of expressing his fear of going where the grass w r as 

 long, lest he should meet with one. He went on a little farther, 

 but feeling faint and weak, and getting frightened about the 

 bi'e, he returned home. On arriving there he could hardly 

 speak, from excitement and the haste he had made ; but his first 

 words were : " Mother, I think I have been bitten by an adder : 

 though I did not see one, I feel and see on my wrist the hard 

 white swelling which always comes after a bite." 



His mother immediately put his arm into very hot water, and 

 then applied a bread and oil poultice. When the doctor arrived, 

 he said all was done right, and the boy had saved his own life by 

 the courage and presence of mind he had shown in at once 

 biting out the piece of flesh. The poison, however, had swelled 

 up his arm through his veins as high as his shoulder ; but by the 

 next day this black streak of poison, apparent in the veins of 

 his arms, had completely disappeared, and in the course of a few 

 weeks the boy was perfectly restored to health.* 



*Hardwick's Science Gossip, vol. i., p. 131. 



