HINTS TO ADDER-SEEKERS 29 
covering it, he must be provided with some simple 
contrivance for its capture. 
My plan, which cannot be recommended to 
timid persons liable in moments of excitement to 
get flustered and awkward, is to catch the retreat- 
ing adder quickly by the tail, which is a perfectly 
safe proceeding if there is no blundering, since the 
creature when going from you is not in a position 
to strike. 
I confess I am always a little reluctant to offer 
such an indignity to the adder as grasping and 
holding it up, enraged and impotent, by the tail, 
although such treatment may be to its advantage 
in the end. We have a naturalist in Kngland who 
picks up every adder he finds and pinches its tail 
before releasing it, just to teach it caution. The 
poor creeping thing with a zigzag band on its 
back to advertise its dangerous character has of 
all creatures the fewest friends among men. My 
sole object in picking up an adder by the tail 
is to be able to look at its under-surface, which 
is often the most beautiful part. As a rule the 
colour is deep blue, but it varies; the darkest 
specimens being blue-black or even quite black, 
while the exceedingly rare light blue is too 
beautiful for words. Occasionally we find an 
adder with the belly plates of the same ground 
colour, a dull or pale straw yellow, as the upper 
part of the body, with the dark blue colour in 
broken spots and dots and lines inscribed on it. 
These markings in some cases resemble written 
