78 Miscellaneous. 



sides of the same specimen, viz. on one side being continuous and on 

 the other broken up into oblong spots. In one specimen there is a 

 ring-like spot, including a small white central spot, on the hinder 

 part of the eye on one side, and not on the other. There are one 

 or two obscure streaks on the side of the neck, parallel to the upper 

 one. I described the head and neck of this species as being streaked 

 when mentioning the species of the hairy tortoise of the Chinese in 

 the Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1873, xi. p. 148. 



3. Several specimens of what Mr. Swinhoe very correctly con- 

 siders a new species of Terrapin, which I propose to name 



Damonia unicolor. (The Black Damonia.) 



Animal and shell black. Shell oblong, three-keeled. Vertebral 

 shields oblong, broader than long, the first one nearly square, as 

 broad behind as in front ; vertebral keel broad and blunt in front, 

 sharper and higher behind ; the lateral keels blunt, rather above the 

 middle of the plates. 



Shanghai (Swinhoe). Brit. Mus. 



This species is very like Damonia Reevesii. It chiefly differs from 

 it in the animal and shell being black, in the front vertebral plate 

 being more square, nearly as broad behind as in front, in the head 

 being smaller and narrower, covered with a smooth hard plate, and 

 the sides of the head and neck being uniformly black. 



The inguinal plate varies in size : it is generally larger than in 

 Damonia. Reevesii; but in one specimen it is smaller and nearly 

 of the same size ; and it varies in size and form also in D. Reevesii. 



This species is quite different from Damonia nigricans (also from 

 China) — which has a single keel, and the neck marked with broad, 

 pale, more or less interrupted longitudinal streaks. 



A new and ingenious American Move in the Game of Priority. 



The following circular letter, partly printed, partly written, which 

 has just come to our knowledge, will, we think, somewhat amuse 

 our readers : — 



"BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 



June 6, 1873. 

 " To the Secretary of the Society. 



" Dear Sir, — You are hereby notified that a paper entitled " Con- 

 tributions to a Knowledge of North -American Moths," by A. R. 

 Grote, has been read this evening before this Society, declaring that 

 three new genera \Litognatha, Meghypena, Phaicasiophora] and 

 nineteen hitherto undescribed species [Acronycta 4, Agrotis 1, 

 Cloanilui 2, Litognatha 2, Meghypena 2, Botis 1, Eurycreon 1, 

 Phaicasiophora 1, Penthina 3, Graptolitha 1, (Eta 1] occur in the 

 North- American insect-fauna {whereof these Presents, to which the 

 Seal of this Society is affixed, are evidence), and that this Society 



