100 NATURE IN DOWNLAND 



at a time, all wriggling and winding round and among 

 his open fingers; and he affirms that after an adder 

 has been four or five days in his keeping it becomes 

 so tame that it may be handled with impunity by 

 Mr. Fletcher. In fact, his serpents are of so gentle 

 a disposition that he doubts if it would be possible 

 to tease them into an attempt to bite him. He has 

 shown me a collection of photographs, of his hand 

 grasping a bunch of adders, not to be hurled in anger 

 and with deadly effect at his enemies, but picked up 

 simply to show what exceedingly mild and sweet- 

 tempered creatures they are when you trust them, and 

 they are accustomed to a human hand. Now it is 

 common knowledge that some persons possess a quality, 

 or energy, which enables them to handle the most irri- 

 table and venomous reptiles with safety : a touch of their 

 hand, and, in some extreme cases, their mere presence 

 will soothe and make them harmless. I do not say that 

 it is so in this case. Mr. Fletcher laughs at such an 

 explanation of his power, and says that he would not 

 venture to pick up wild adders by their tails, as I 

 sometimes do. His adders are savage at first, but in 

 a very short time grow accustomed to the hand, and 

 may then be taken up and handled by any person. 

 Dr. Giinther says he has met with cases similar to 

 the one I have related; and he tells of a gentleman 

 who, to show how harmless the tamed adder can be 

 made, is accustomed to put one into the hands of his 

 little child. 



