THE OOLOGIST 



75 



Snakes. 



Mr. Perez (Oologist, No. 274, p. 62), 

 and others may be interested to learn 

 that the apparent dislocating of the 

 jaw noticed when a snake swallows a 

 large object is a perfectly normal ac- 

 tion, many bones of the head being 

 so articulated as to allow of great free- 

 dom of movement. The digestive fluids 

 of the snake's stomach will easily dis- 

 solve egg shells. The snake suffers 

 no inconvenience whatever, either 

 from the great distention of the mouth, 

 or the difficulty of obtaining nourish- 

 ment from an egg t.hat he may have 

 swallowed whole. 



J. O. SNYDER. 



The Black Headed Gull on Lake 

 Leman, Switzerland. 

 (Larus ridisundus) 

 Upper parts pearl-grey; wings with 

 the exception of the primaries, which 

 are white, edged and tipped with black, 

 also pearl grey; head blackish brown; 

 neck, rump and tail white; under 

 parts also white; feet, legs and man- 

 dibles bright red. Winter: the same 

 with the exception of the head which 

 changes to white with a small brown- 

 ish patch on the hind part of the 

 crown. There is also a small circular 

 patch just in back of the auriculars. 

 Young: of a general mottled brown; 

 a black band across the end of the 



No. 34 Young Black-headed Gull, Mt, Grammont, Vevey, Switzerland. 

 Photo by P. G. Howes. 



