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 figure 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 fulera; 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. 
Cures 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 
1 Packard, 
