The main Sherlock Holmes trait that shines through this story is his step-by-step reliance on observation and rationality to solve a crime. For example, he startles Miss Stoner on first meeting her when he states she came in that morning on the left side of a dogcart. He explains it is his powers of observation and reason that lead him to that conclusion:
The left arm of your jacket is spattered with mud in no less than seven places. The marks are perfectly fresh.
We also watch him as he very carefully examines Miss Stoner's bedroom from outside and inside the house, carefully noting everything that seems odd. His approach is utterly meticulous, methodical, and factual. At the end, he is, characteristically, brutally honest about his process. He doesn't want to display his genius or "wow" people—simply to clearly explain his method. Therefore, he is quite open in stating he was misled at first about the speckled band, thinking it was the nearby gypsy group, not a snake.
While Holmes is not a warm, fuzzy, huggable person, he is caring in his own way, and he shows his characteristic detached thoughtfulness in this story. He is concerned about Miss Stoner's terror, and he also makes an effort to rouse Watson from bed early in the morning, knowing he probably will want to be part of this mystery from the start.
One of Sherlock Holmes's characteristics is his mercurial nature, which changes from apathy and indolence to tremendous energy and determination as soon as a challenging case presents itself. This is demonstrated at the very beginning of "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" when Holmes, using a late riser, rouses Watson out of bed at 7:15am so he will not miss the beginning of the case.
Very soon afterwards, Holmes's keen powers of deduction are demonstrated when he remarks that Miss Stoner travelled by train then by dog-cart. He also shows his indifference to money when he waves away the question of payment, saying that his profession is its own reward. His attention to detail is shown in his meticulous questioning of Miss Stoner and his insistence on precise details.
Finally, Holmes displays his characteristic courage and coolness throughout the story. This is evident from his first encounter with the menacing Dr. Roylott, who attempts to bully and insult him, all to no avail. He laughs at Roylott's attempts to intimidate him:
Holmes chuckled heartily. "Your conversation is most entertaining," said he. "When you go out close the door, for there is a decided draft."
He is later equally brave when dealing with the swamp adder.
Sherlock Holmes's most famous characteristic is, of course, his preternatural ability for deductive reasoning. He demonstrates this ability early in the story when he deduces that Helen Stoner has travelled that morning "in a dog-cart, along heavy roads." He explains to her that the spatters of mud on the left arm of her jacket could only have been produced by a dog-cart, "and then only when you sit on the left-hand side of the driver."
Another characteristic common to Sherlock Holmes in many of the stories is his seemingly imperturbable demeanour. He is rarely alarmed, frightened, or excitable. This is demonstrated in "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" when he is confronted by the large, imposing figure of Dr. Roylott. Dr. Roylott threatens and tries to bully Holmes, but Holmes responds with an almost mocking indifference. When Dr. Roylott demands to know what Helen Stoner has said to Holmes, Holmes responds, "I have heard that the crocuses promise well." When Dr. Roylott calls Holmes a "busybody," a "meddler" and a "Scotland Yard Jack-in-office," Holmes merely smiles and "chuckle(s) heartily."
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