Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 5 (1901).djvu/183

Rh Weights of Birds.—Mr. Bradshaw's notes upon the weights of birds (ante, pp. 111, 112) are very interesting. I have from time to time made note of birds more than usually heavy; some of these are as follows: —

September, 1880.—Great Snipe, 7 oz., 7¼ oz., and 7½ oz. (Lubbock, 'Fauna of Norfolk,' mentions one of 10 oz.) Very poor example in Sept. 1900, 5 oz.

November, 1881.—Grey Plover, 10 oz. Lapwing, 10 oz. Common Snipe, 5 oz. (I weighed another, Nov. 1891, 6¼ oz.). Woodcock, 11 oz. (I weighed another, Jan. 1890, 15 oz.).

December, 1899.— Curlew, 2 lb. 4 oz. (ante, p. 104).

December, 1900.—Golden Plover, 9½ oz.

December, 1899.— Stock-Dove, 15½ oz. (cf. Zool. 1900, p. 534).— (Ibis House, Great Yarmouth).

Notes on the Leopard Snake in Confinement.—For the last twelve months I have had in my possession a specimen of the Leopard Snake (Coluber leopardinus). Although declared by most people who are interested in Snakes to be a shy feeder, and also a delicate species, my specimen has up to the present proved quite the reverse. I thought during the present winter I would allow it to hibernate; so about the end of October, during a spell of rather severe weather, I packed it away, together with a number of English Ringed Snakes (Tropidonotus natrix) and an Æsculapian Snake (Coluber æsculapii), and placed them in a rather cool situation. In a month's time I unpacked them to see if hibernation had taken place, and found it had done so in the case of the Ringed Snakes and the Æsculapian, but the Leopard Snake still seemed quite lively. As the weather was now milder, I placed it in a vivarium, and supplied it with water, of which it drank freely. All through the winter it has been in a room, in which there is no fire or any kind of artificial heat of any sort; but, although we have had spells of very severe weather, it has not hibernated, and most of the time has remained in a lively condition. During the last five months it has not eaten anything, though I have seen it drinking several times. Its food during last summer consisted of tame Mice, of which it has eaten sixteen or eighteen, the largest meal consisting of four half-grown Mice. Its last meal, which consisted of two Mice, it disgorged about five days afterwards. In most cases the Mice were held in the coils till dead, but on several occasions they were eaten alive. The first time I saw it feed it constricted one Mouse, and held it in its coils whilst it caught and devoured a second one, which was swallowed alive. During the time it has been in my possession it has changed its skin twice at intervals of seven or eight weeks; in each case the cuticle was cast entire. My specimen is very gentle and