KUNGL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR. BAND 48. N:O 5. 101 
Considering that the difference in the size of the skull between this specimen 
and that of the type; of L. i. hinder is just as great as between the latter and L. i. 
ibeanus, although all are of the same sex and adult, it appears probable that these 
animals vary considerably in size individually. In such a case it appears hardly 
possible to maintain L. i hindei as a subspecies as it only differs in size. 
PococKk has quite recently! discussed the peculiar arrangement and coloration 
of the hair of Lophiomys and arrived at the plausible conclusion that the black and 
white pattern » must make the animal conspicuous in the dusk». Pocock regarded 
thus Lophiomys as a »selfadvertiser», and believed it to be protected by »a most 
peculiar but indescribable smell», which the author quoted had felt emitted from the 
specimen examined by him. To this may be mentioned that the living animal seen 
by me did not produce any perceptible odour, nor did my taxidermist Mr. A. JANSSON 
perceive any such when he skinned the dead animal. The skin has a somewhat 
musky smell but by far not so strong as that of many Shrews for instance. The 
body preserved in alkohol has no peculiar smell. 
Mr. HENDERSON'”S specimen was quite tame (which perhaps explains that it did 
not affect our olfactory organs). He could handle it just as he liked, and he lifted 
and carried it by getting hold of the long hair of its back. When put on a table for 
instance it slowly walked a round without any attempt to slip away, and it did not 
try to bite. 
It was fed on carrots, while in the possession of Mr. HENDERSON, and it ap- 
peared to like that diet. 
Spalacidae. 
Tachyoryctes splendens ibeanus THomMAs. 
THoMAS: Proc. Zool. Soc., London 1900, p. 179. 
This Mole-rat is rather common at Nairobi where several specimens were ob- 
tained. One specimen was also caught among grass at a small dry rivulet on the 
open plains some distance north east of Nairobi. Especially the blackish young, or 
half grown young animals were often seen among the vegetation at the road side 
even in daytime. 
When compared with the Mole-rats caught at Meru boma the specimens from 
the neighbourhood of Nairobi are easily recognized on the shape of the nasals which 
are rather evenly tapering backwards, as is well illustrated by THOMAS” figure of the 
type (1. c. p. 180). The same bones of the Meru specimens are comparatively broader 
behind and do not taper so much. A skull of the latter kind was therefore sent to 
British Museum for comparison, and Mr. GuY DOoLLMAN kindly replied that a long 
series of specimens from Kenia and the Igambi Hills exhibited »a considerable va- 
riation in the form of the nasals». In consequence of this the Tachyoryctes of Meru 
boma as well must be considered to be splendens ibeanus. 
1 Proc. Zool. Soc., 1911, p. 946—948. 
