348 BRITISH SERPENTS. 
53 Hanover Street, Eprnpurcn, June 22, 1900, 
Strnn—Having the adder referred to by Mr George 
Beattie in to-day’s ‘Scotsman’ in my possession, I 
shall be glad to show it to any one interested who 
Tam, &c. 
Wm. T. Woop. 
eares to call at my address here. 
Joppa, June 22, 1900. 
Str,—More than onee I have seen discussions as 
to the size of adders, confining the extreme length 
to about 26 or 28 inches. Doubtless there are not 
many larger in the present time, but Mr Beattie’s 
letter in your issue of to-day, stating that he had 
caught one in 1867 near Callander 56 inches long, 
confirms my memory of one which, though not 
measured at the time, so far as I remember, I have 
always considered was from 33 to 36 inches in length. 
When a boy in 1849 [ was driving from Haddington 
to Duns across the Lammermoors, and approaching 
near Longformacus, found sunning itself at the side 
of the road what looked a large reptile. The groom 
lashed it well with the butt-end of his whip until 
it seemed dead. We then got it thrown into the 
back of the dogeart, fastening the door, Arriving 
at Duns, we soon found from its movements that 
the adder was alive, and opened the door cautiously. 
Several people had collected. It had raised itself 
until its head and neck were stretched along the top 
of the machine and its tail part along the bottom. 
