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up, and thus somewhat resembles a hog’s snout. 
Although the spreading adder is sluggish in 
its habits, yet when irritated it assumes a most 
threatening attitude. It coils quickly, fills out 
its loose skin with air till nearly twice its 
natural size, flattens its body close to the 
eround, expands its neck to a wonderful de- 
gree, emits a long drawn hiss, and viciously 
strikes at its tormentor with lightning like 
strokes of wrath-inspired fury. But all this 
terrifying manifestation of deadly ire is but 
harmless bluster, as it never opens its mouth 
during its savage attacks, and it is as harmless 
as a little kitten. 
A peculiar characteristic of this snake, not 
existing in any other species of our common 
snakes, is its practice of ‘ playing possum,’ 
when unable to frighten away its tormentor 
with a manifestation of serpentine rage. When 
resorting to this deception it rolls over on its 
back, with mouth wide open and tongue pro- 
truding, and lying perfectly quiet it thus simu- 
lates death perfectly. In this state it may be 
roughly handled, and even knocked about, yet 
it remains limp and apparently lifeless. It 
will continue this deception till its captor, even 
though sometimes a naturalist, thoroughly de- 
ceived, casts it away in disgust, when, presto, it 
suddenly revives and quickly glides out of 
harm’s way into the nearest shelter. I have se- 
cured specimens of this snake, when it feigned 
death so perfectly and continued the deception 
