VARIOUS INCIDENTS RECORDED. 221 



swimming across a pond. Once, up at Heath Pool, 

 when accompanied by a black retriever, I saw a snake 

 swimming and threw my stick at it. It went some 

 distance beyond the snake, and the dog plunged into 

 the water to fetch back the stick. En route he came 

 across the snake, which stiffened itself as the dog 

 approached. The latter, mistaking the snake for 

 the stick, snapped at it, and then shook its head in 

 disgust. I think he must have killed the reptile, 

 for it did not reappear." — J. Bevir, M.A., Wellington 

 College. 



Adder- springing. — " I was never faced by an 

 adder, neither has one ever attempted to spring at 

 me, although I have killed several. One of my 

 workmen told me one sprang at him as high as his 

 waist, but he managed to dodge it, and it just missed 

 him. A keeper tells me he once struck at an adder, 

 which had just previously killed a favourite dog, and 

 the blow missed, and the reptile arched itself up, 

 resting on its tail and neck only, apparently about 

 to spring at him. He cut it down, however, before 

 it did so. 



" I have twice had an adder face my dog, but on 

 each occasion I shot the reptile's head off. Twice in 

 my experience I have had an adder in my house in 

 the winter, when living in a farmhouse. We supposed 

 them to have been brought in with the firewood. They 

 were somewhat torpid, and easily killed. 



