THE ADDER. 139 



a sinuous wavy movement from side to side, well 

 seen in the accompanying illustration (p. '138). This 

 attitude in motion is also shown in the fioure of 

 the handsome young male adder depicted on p. 121. 

 When stationary, adders are usually seen curled up in 

 two or three coils (see p. 99) ; and this attitude is 

 also assumed prior to the act of darting the head 

 forward to strike. This latter is done with extreme 

 rapidity, and frequently repeated a second time. The 

 ordinary sinuous movement is carried out by the 

 action of the muscles on the ribs and on the ventral 

 scales. " The large ventral scales are successively 

 advanced, the hinder edges of the scales resting on 

 the ground and forming fulcra ; resting on these, the 

 body is then drawn or pushed rapidly forwards."^ 

 Each scale is attached to the rib corresponding to 

 it, the whole mechanism being a very beautiful one 

 to watch in operation. 



Cicres for Adders' Bites. 



In most parts of the country where adders are at 

 all common, there is some popular method of treating 

 their bite. Perhaps the most usual is an oil made 

 from some part of the adder, or from the melting down 

 of the whole reptile. Sometimes only the liver is used 

 to make this oil ; at other times the faith is put in the 

 adder's fat. In the Monnow Valley I have heard of 



^ Packard. 



