POISON OF THE VIPER. 
Ill 
chain of dark spots that runs along the spine, and forms an nnfailing gnide to its identifica- 
tion. It is the only poisonous reptile inhabiting some European countries, the variously- 
colored specimens being nothing more than varieties of the same species. 
Like most reptiles, whether poisonous or not, the Yiper is a very timid creature, always 
preferring to glide away from a foe rather than to attack, and only biting when driven to do 
so under great provocation. 
The following interesting account of a Yiper’ s bite and its consequences, has been kindly' 
forwarded to me by Mr. W. C. Coleman 
“ Several years ago, in my school-boy days, I had an experience with a Yiper, which may 
possibly interest such of your readers as have not enjoyed a similar intimacy with the 
creature, especially as it places the Yiper character in a somewhat more amiable light than it 
is usually represented. 
“ One cold, damp day in the beginning of May, I was out in the country on a foraging 
expedition ; birds’ nests and objects of natural history in general being the objects of search. 
Entering, in the course of exploration, a likely coppice, I descried a blackbird’s nest perched 
among some tangled stems of underwood three or four feet from the ground. A glance at the 
interior, however, soon showed that some other marauder had forestalled me, as the sole 
occupants of the nest were some crushed and empty egg-shells, and scanty remains of the 
fluid contents spilt about. ‘A weasel,’ thought I, but wrongfully, as it happened, for on 
turning away in dudgeon, a rustling movement among the herbage on the ground a couple of 
yards off, attracted my eyes and ears ; and there I saw the undoubted spoiler of the nest, a 
large Yiper, moving away briskly with his tail in the direction of the nest. 
“ A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and my slight natural history reading, assisted 
by bad engravings, had helped me to fancy that I knew the Yiper from the common Snake 
well enough ; and so, deciding that this was only a common harmless Snake, I made a plunge 
at the creature and apprehended him with my unprotected hand. Keceiving no bite, I was 
now confirmed in my idea of the beast’s perfect innocence (except in the bird’s-nest matter), 
and decided on adopting him as a pet. So presently set off borne, a distance of more than 
two miles, taking my serpentine friend in my hand. Not always in my hand, however, for to 
beguile the homeward journey I proceeded to try sundry experiments on the supple backbone 
and easy temper of the animal, occasionally tying him round my neck, and so wearing him 
for a considerable distance ; then twining him round my wrist into a fancy bracelet, and 
weaving him into various knots and devices according to taste, all this with perfect impunity 
on my part, and the utmost apparent good humor on his. 
“On the road, a kind farmer of my acquaintance, whose natural history lore was more 
practical than my own, endeavored to convince me that I was ‘ harboring a Yiper in my 
bosom,’ but I was not going to hear my good-tempered playmate called bad names ; put my 
finger into the Adder’ s very mouth to prove he had no idea of biting, and so passed on, in 
much conceit with myself as an accomplished herpetologist. 
“We thus reached home in perfect safety and amity. My brothers and sisters greeted 
the stranger with some little instinctive horror at first, but got over that feeling when they 
heard of his innocent nature and amusing capabilities, in proof of which I repeated the necktie 
experiment, etc. About this stage, however, I must mention that he exhibited a somewhat 
unpleasant phenomenon common to the Snake tribe in general, who can relieve themselves of 
the torpor consequent on a heavy meal, by disgorging the same when irritated and requiring 
restoration of their usual activity. The rejectamenta in this case consisted of portions of 
unhatched young birds, thus confirming the nest robbery. 
‘ ‘ Being thus lightened, and perhaps stimulated by the warmth of a fire in the room, he 
was now lively enough, unhappily for me, for on essaying to continue my experiments, by 
tying him into a double knot, his endurance was at an end ; one dart at my finger and a 
sharp puncture told me that the thing was done. Then, too late, I recollected that the ‘Adder 
is distinguished by a zigzag chain of dark markings down the back,’ and sure enough the vile 
creature before me had those very marks. In a rage, I battered Ms life out with a stick, lest 
