LAKES PROVINCE. 341 
just 5 feet long. I have lived in the district of Ulver- 
ston since 1875, and have heard many wonderful 
yarns as to vipers, or hag-worms as they are called 
locally. In my own experience I have seen about a 
dozen, all of which I have killed except the first I 
saw, Which was lying curled up with the head in the 
middle. I came across him on a foot-road through a 
wood, where he was enjoying a snooze, probably after 
ameal. I happened to have a bit of dead wood in 
my hand, and, in my anxiety to kill the ‘beastie,’ 
aimed a blow at once instead of choosing a more 
reliable weapon. The wood was so rotten that it 
snapped in my hand and only the end fell harmlessly 
on the head of the adder, who hissed angrily and 
made off. They are most often seen in the early 
warm spring days near old walls and places in which 
they have been hibernating. I once saw the effect 
of a bite on a sheep-dog, which had been bitten near 
the nose, which quickly swelled up and looked very 
painful. As far as I can recollect, the shepherd ap- 
plied carbolic oil, and in a couple of days the canine 
patient was well. One informant tells me that he 
once saw an adder swimming across Windermere 
Lake with his head just above the water and mak- 
ing a hissing noise! Another friend rode over one 
on his bicycle as the adder was crossing the main 
road from Ulverston to Lakeside.”—Rev. P. Hartley, 
M.A., Colton Vicarage, Ulverston. 
1 This was probably a ring snake, 
