OCR Text |
Show 706 DR. J. E. GRAY ON NEW TORTOISES. [Nov. 1 Mr. Hudson, on the other hand, states that near Buenos Ayres, where there are some woods, the Colaptes campestris climbs trees and bores into the bark like other Woodpeckers. He says, " it is sometimes found several miles distant from any trees. This, however, is rare, and it is on such occasions always apparently on its way to some tree in the distance. It here builds its nest in holes in trees." I have not the least doubt that Mr. Hudson's account is perfectly accurate, and that I have committed an error in stating that this species never climbs trees. But is it not possible that this bird may have somewhat different habits in different districts, and that I may not be quite so inaccurate as Mr. Hudson supposes ? I cannot doubt, from what I saw iu Banda Oriental, that this species there habitually frequents the open plains, and lives exclusively on the food thus obtained. Still less can I doubt the account given by Azara of its general habits of life, and of its manner of nidification. Finally, I trust that Mr. Hudson is mistaken when he says that any one acquainted with the habits of this bird might be induced to believe that I "had purposely wrested the truth in order to prove" my theory. He exonerates me from this charge ; but I should be loath to think that there are many naturalists who, without any evidence, would accuse a fellow worker of telling a deliberate falsehood to prove his theory. 3. Notes on three Species of Tortoises living in the Society's Gardens. By Dr. J. E . G R A Y , F.R.S. &c. (Plates XL. & XLI ) There are at present living in the Society's Gardens two species of Land-Tortoises and one of the more terrestrial Terrapins, which Mr. Bartlett assures me came direct from Chili. They are very interesting as containing at least one species of Testudo not as yet recorded in the catalogue. The other Testudo appears to be T. elephantopus, or the " Elephant-Tortoise of the Galapagos" of Mr. Harlan, which has hitherto been confounded with T. indica. The more terrestrial Terrapin is Rhinoclemmys annulata, described in the Proc. Zool. Soc. 1860, p. 231, t. 29 (Geoclemmys annulata), as coming from Ecuador; so it must extend over a large part of South America. The animal has not been before described. It is black. The fore legs are covered with very large, convex, unequal scales ; scales black, tipped with white, forming an interrupted band ; toes very short, scarcely produced, covered with two or three convex band-like scales above; claws short, thick, black, white at the tip ; hind feet with short, thick, black claws; scales of the soles of the feet large, convex, black, varied with white. The others are:- 1. TESTUDO (GOPHER) CHILENSIS. (Plate XL.) B.M. Testudo sulcata, D'Orbigny, Voy. dans l'Amer. Mer. Rept. 6 ; Burmeister, Reise durch die La Plata-Staaten, ii, 521. |