NOTES FROM THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 567 



his hood and hissing angrily for a long while. Eggs he 

 declined, also a lizard and a rat, in great disgust. In 

 India the Ophiophagi are said to feed on lizards and fish 

 occasionally, but our Ophiophagus preferred to fast. At 

 last one of the two ring snakes was produced, and Ophio was 

 to be regaled. It was the 31st of March 1876, and he had 

 been a denizen of the Gardens just one year. My note-book 

 informs me that it was a lovely, soft spring day, and that 

 Ophio was quite lively. He had rejected frogs on his own 

 account, but in the uncertainty of more ring snakes arriving, 

 he was now decoyed into eating half a dozen. Holland 

 contrived that the snake destined for his dinner should 

 answer the purpose of a feast, and had allowed it to 

 eat as many frogs as it chose. Like the poor wretch who, 

 doomed to the gallows, is permitted to fare sumptuously 

 the last morning of his life, the ring snake ate three frogs, 

 by which the Ophiophagus was to derive chief benefit ; 

 he, all unconscious of the cause of his victim's unusual 

 plumpness, swallowing him speedily. 



Soon after this Ophio doffed his winter coat entire, and 

 having again fasted for ten days, was at once rewarded by 

 the last remaining ring snake in a similarly plethoric 

 condition, namely, with three more frogs inside him. Now 

 and then during the winter months the scarcity of ring 

 snakes has compelled the sacrifice of some far rarer colubers 

 to Ophio's cannibal tastes. And yet each year we hear of 

 hundreds of ring snakes being ruthlessly killed in country 

 districts, while at great cost and trouble others are purchased 

 or brought from the Continent for the Hamadryad's 

 sustenance. Lord Lilford, one of the Ophidarium's best 



