THE ADDER. 189 



me to the special group of granite boulders that I 

 wanted to see. Descending, we turned sharply 

 round a corner, where our steps were suddenly 

 arrested, and we stood transfixed, half in admiration 

 and half in terror. For there, not many feet distant, 

 and exactly at the spot where we were to cross the 

 lane, with its head slightly raised and facing us, lay 

 basking in the sun a beautiful adder. As we looked 

 we caught sight of six or seven little creatures at the 

 rear of the mother s body, slipijing and sliding about 

 on the ground as if at play. Then suddenly, as if 

 terrified, they separated, and with almost ludicrous 

 rapidity shuffled along on either side of the mother's 

 body till they reached the head, when, raising them- 

 selves a little, they tumbled on and over each other 

 in their haste to reach her mouth, which almost as 

 quickly closed over them." 



The following have been - made to me by word of 

 mouth : — 



Statement 1. — " Some years back I saw an adder 

 killed and opened with thirteen young ones in her. 

 We were reaping a field of beans. My brother was 

 carrying the men's dinner up to the field ; when on 

 his way up he heard an adder hiss close to him, and 

 a moment or two afterwards saw the brute a few 

 feet off. It was a very large one — I should say 

 nearly 30 inches long. We killed it and found it 

 very full about the throat, and knowing that they 



