( 83 ) 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



MAMMALIA. 



LEMURIDiE. 



Breeding of the S. African Galago in Confinement— The interesting 

 little animal known to the Boers as the " nagt-apie," and to zoologists as 

 Galayo maholi, was generally an inmate of my small menagerie in the 

 Transvaal, and is a common pet both there and elsewhere. It can usually 

 be purchased at Pretoria from the bush-veld Boers who bring their waggons 

 to the market, and the little animals — for they are usually pairs — are simply 

 secured by a light thong round the neck. 



The first pair I kept, and in a moderately small cage, bred within the 

 initial twelve months of captivity. One was produced at birth, which 

 evidently died at a very early age, for after death it was thrust outside the 

 sleeping or day-hiding chamber, when I first saw it. I should probably 

 have succeeded in rearing stock from this pair, but for one of those 

 untoward and unforeseen events which dog the steps of the keeper^of live 

 animals. The cause of the trouble in this instance was a Meyer's Parrot, 

 Psittacus meyeri, between which and the male Galago a remarkable antipathy 

 existed ; the last would leave his nest, even in the daytime, if the bird was 

 loose and came in front of his cage. One morning, when the Parrot had 

 been loose all night, I found the male Galago dead, his snout being 

 lacerated where the bird had bitten him through the wire netting. This 

 proved that he had sought to fight the Parrot, as otherwise he was perfectly 

 safe and protected in his cage. It is an interesting question whether there 

 is a general antipathy between the Parrot and the Galago, and if so, why ? 

 Dr. Giinther informed me that G. maholi bred in captivity in England in 

 1894, and, as the animal is frequently brought home, success in breeding 

 may probably be obtained by those who will take the trouble to secure it. 

 That possibly may be best achieved by interfering as little as possible with 

 the sleeping or day-hiding place of the animals, or, in other words, by 

 leaving them alone. — Ed. 



AVES. 



Eared Grebe in Cumberland. — An Eared Grebe, apparently an adult 

 bird in winter dress, was shot upon the river Wampool early in December, 

 1896. It was quite alone, and was resting on the sand at the water-side 



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