GENERAL NOTES 2G1 



General Xotcs. 



A New Addition to the Transvaal Ma:mmalt.\n Fauna. 



In April of this year Miss Olive Stevens, of Htonelieiiw 

 Estate, Louis Tricliardt, Zoutpansberg, sent us an ex- 

 ample of the (liant Kat {Cricctomys gambianus, 

 Waterh). This huge rat measures over a foot in length, 

 with the tail another 15 inches or so. It is a tropical 

 African species, ranging from the AVest Coas^ (Gambia 

 to Angola) and across to Inhambane on the East. The 

 late H. F. Francis collected a pair at Inhambane, which 

 are in the t^outh African Museum, and it is interesting 

 to know that this animal is also an inhabitant of the 

 Northern Transvaal. I have little doubt that, according 

 to the modern craze for hairsplitting, it will turn out to 

 be a new sub-species, in which case 1 would like it named 

 after irs discoverer. When it dies I will have its skin 

 compared with others in London. Not the least interest: 

 ing thing about the creature is the fact that on arrival 

 it had dozens of a large parasitic insect running about 

 amongst the fur of the body. These belong to Hemimerus 

 hanseni. 



A. K. Haagner. 

 Zool Gardens, 



Pretoria, 1.12.18. 



Colour Variation in Flowers. 



That colour in flowers may vary according to soil or 

 other conditions is well known both to botanists and to 

 horticulturists. Perhaps the best known example of this 

 is Hydrangea hortensis, the colour of which varies from 

 blue to pink in many different shades. It is stated that 

 the blue colour may be retained or secured by supplying 

 iron or alum. In nature a similar state of things oc- 

 casionally prevails, and in this connection an article by 



