THE ZooLocist—Juty, 1875, 4541 
the flesh when cooked did not increase my desire to dine off bittern.— 
G. B. Corbin. 
Longevity of a Wild Duck.—It may be worth recording that in April 
last a tame wild duck was killed by an accident at Northrepps, which was 
known to be twenty-two years old. Last year it was accidentally injured, 
in consequence of which it became somewhat inactive, and ultimately was 
killed by a horse treading on it.—J. H. Gurney; Northrepps, Norwich, 
June 21, 1875. 
Blackheaded Gulls at South Kirkby.—I have to record the capture at 
South Kirkby, about seven miles from here, of a pair (male and female) of 
blackheaded gulls (Larus ridibundus) in breeding plumage. I think their 
occurrence so far from their usual haunts, at this season, is somewhat 
remarkable. On Whit-Tuesday I saw a pair of large gulls fly over the 
town (Barnsley), but at too great a distance to distinguish the species.— 
W. J. Cope; Barnsley, June 23, 1875. 
Fruit-eating Snakes.—In the ‘ Zoologist’ for April (S. S. 4892) Messrs. 
R. B. and J. D. S. Woodward’s statement regarding snakes subsisting on 
wild berries and fruits, as well as on the eggs of birds, is discredited by 
Mr. Newman, and I think justly. There are certainly several accounts 
given of vegetable-eating snakes; but as far as I have noticed such state- 
ments are not given with the authority of personal observation, but with 
such remarks as “the natives declare they feed on so-and-so,” “it is generally 
understood they devour such and such berries and plants,” or “I have been 
informed that such and such a snake commonly feeds upon berries and 
fruits.” Now this kind of information is to a scientific man next to value- 
less; and until we can obtain the authentic record of a competent naturalist, 
advanced upon a basis of actual observation of his own, I, for one, will doubt 
the vegetable appetites of snakes. In the first place, this supposed appetite 
is certainly not a characteristic of any one of the sub-orders of the Ophidia, 
as we shall see on glancing over them and their specific food. Thus, take 
the five subordinate groups of the order Ophidia (as arranged by Dr. 
Giinther), and find what the characteristic food of each of the sub-orders 
consists of :— 
Sub-order. Food. 
I. Burrowing Snakes. Small invertebrate animals. 
II. Ground Snakes. Terrestrial vertebrate animals. 
III. Tree Snakes. Birds, and animals which frequent trees, as the 
squirrel, &c.; and only a few species on eggs. 
IV. Fresh-water Snakes. Fishes, frogs, crustaceans, &c. 
V. Sea Snakes. Marine fishes. 
SECOND SERIES—VOL. X. 2N 
