WCP2415

[1]

Belton, Chaucer R^d.

Bedford

23/10/89

My dear Sir,

Many thanks for your note¹ and correction. I had your volume² only for 7 days & in making notes I must have omitted an X.

I have now the original reference in "Nature", & it is very interesting to find my observations confirmed from an independent witness in another part of the Cape. All the same I have my doubts whether the imitated snake may be the Berg Adder. That viper in the [illeg.] is comparatively rare, while Causus rhombeatus is widely distributed both on mountain & plain. M^r. Tooke³ speaks of the head of Dasypeltis snakes being flattened out, whereas I believe it is that part of the neck adjoining the head & which is very distensible. I think he is right about the grating sound produced by the scales. There was another light brown Dasypeltis at the [illeg.] but rarer. I could not ascertain that it imitated another snake.

If you refer to A. Smith⁴ you will find what I conceive to be another imitation, though not as close a resemblance: I [2] mean the varieties of Coluber canus with those of the cobra. Canus was often brought to me as cobras, they are much commoner. I once saw a collection of these litter in the possession of some Bushmen, who pretended to be snake charmers & called them cobras. They appeared to be stupefied, & old Mr. Brin⁵ near the Modder River declared that the Bushmen when handling them rubbed their hands with the secretion of the glands under their armpits, but whether that be true or not I cannot say.

I forgot to give you another case of what seems to me to be case of mimicry among plants. In Harvey’s⁶ Thesaurus⁷ vol II fig 191 you will find under Sarcocyphula Gerrardi [sic] the following note:-

"If this be not a monstrosity, it is at least a curiosity, having the aspect of Sarcostemma viminale so completely, that except of its flowers, the latter is with difficulty distinguishable; & besides this growing alongside & intertwined with its double, as Mr. Gerrard⁸ [sic] tells us. From Sarcostemma it differs in its corona, which is more like that of Cynoetonum, & in the shape of its pollen masses"

I only once found this species in 1876 — a single plant near Breidbach, King Williams town — It was just as described [3] by Gerrard [sic], but seemed to be somewhat slighter & weaker in its growth than Sarcostemma. I sent some specimens to Prof. McCowan⁹ & gave some in spirits to Dr. R. Trimen,¹⁰ & noticed some small ants on it. Of course it may only [sic] a coincidence, but if so it is a curious one.

It would be satisfactory to have these remarks on snakes & plants verified by systematists in England.

I have been looking up about sheep & goats. I do not find a single mention of crosses in any work of African travellers I have access to. Now sheep & goats are invariably mingled in native flocks.

Surely in 15 years Darwin¹¹ wd to have heard or seen ^of such a case, if such occur.

The cross between Angora & common Cape goat is very fertile — 2 & 3 kids at birth & giving infinite trouble, for the mothers seem incapable of distinguishing their offspring. We marked them with green wads round their necks.

D^r. Capin¹² and (another [illeg.] 1873) I see mentions the Chilean breed, also another extraordinary so-called cross, which further on in a note he states he ascertained to be false.

People, like the Chileans, I should think were most unreliable witnesses. I have asked a friend to make enquiries in S. France.

[4]

Rev^d. Barham-Zinke¹³ in "Egypt of the Pharoahs & Kedivé [sic] p 377 Smith, Elder 1871 writes:

"In Egypt the goats & sheep, as is the case with their betters, are not separated from each other. In size, colour, shape & coat there is not much difference between them; nor is there much difference between their mutton. This is not an instance, as some have suggested, of evil communications having corrupted good mutton, but it is the result of similarity of food. Neither sheep nor goats are larger than an ordinary big Newfoundland dog. They are generally of a rusty black or smutty red colour".

He goes on to speak of their fleeces reeking with yelk or as he calls it grease. The same is the case with sheep feeding in the Karoo — the fleeces there are much heavier & finer than those grazing in the Zuluveld. Karoo plants are very fragrant as a rule & seem to be not merely often thorny, but charged with aromatic secretions & the mutton is distinctly flavoured in parts of it. In fact the dwarf bush is for the most part either succulent (Mesembryaceae, Crassula, Portulaca &c) or salty as (Spekboom, Salsola &c) or aromatic & twiggy. The grasses are sweet too & dwarf Anthistiria is greedily eaten there, whereas in the Zuluveld, it is hard, sour & woody in texture. In droughts certain spring Euphorbias are singed by the farmers (Vingenpoll) & greedily eaten by the sheep, which follow the [MSS ends here.]¹⁴