674. MR. THEOBALD ON CERTAIN SPECIES OF TORTOISES. [ Nov. 1, 
received it from Mr. Thomas H. Potts of Canterbury. The bird, 
though only a few days old, had its bill very distinctly bent to the 
right side, quite as much so in proportion to its size as the adult. 
f¥ Sy 
= 
S Fy EF ae 
Bill of Anarhynchus frontalis, pullus. Natural size. 
Prof. Newton remarked on the great increase in our amount of 
information respecting this very singular form within the last few 
years, chiefly owing to the pains taken in Europe by Mr. James 
Edmund Harting, F.Z.S. (Ibis, 1869, p. 304, pl. 8), and Dr. Hart- 
laub, F.M.Z.S. (P. Z. S. 1869, p. 433)—but most of all to the 
investigations in New Zealand carried on by Mr. Potts, who had had 
ample opportunities of studying the habits of the bird, and had 
contributed an interesting note respecting them to the ‘Transactions 
and Proceedings of the New-Zealand Institute’ (vol. ii. pp. 68, 69), 
besides a fuller account read before the Wellington Philosophical 
Society on the 25th of June last, which would, no doubt, appear in 
the same journal in due time. Of this last a copy had been 
obligingly sent to Prof. Newton by Dr. Hector. 

The Secretary read a paper by Mr. W. Theobald, of the Geolo- 
gical Survey of India, containing ‘ Observations on a Paper by Dr. 
J. E. Gray, entitled ‘ Notes on the Families and Genera of Tortoises’ 
&e.,”’ which had been communicated to the Society by Mr. W. T. 
Blanford, C.M.Z.S. 
After some preliminary observations, in the course of which it was 
stated that the author’s personal acquaintance with some of the spe- 
cimens referred to in Dr. Gray’s paper might be held to qualify him 
to make critical remarks on the subject, Mr. Theobald proceeded to 
treat of certain species of Tortoises mentioned in Dr. Gray’s paper 
(P. Z. S. 1869, p. 165 et seg.) in the following order :— 
1. Testrupo inpica (Gray, /. ¢. p. 168). 
As regards this species, Mr. Theobald insisted that it was time 
that the error which, in his opinion, was conveyed by the trivial 
name indica as applied to this species should be abandoned in scien- 
tifie works, since not a single species of the group containing 7’. in- 
dica (if the aberrant 7’. phayrei, Blyth, be excepted) was known to 
occur either in India proper or in Burmah. 
2. Tesrupo (ScAPIA) FALCONERI (Gray, J. c. p. 169). 
This species, Mr. Theobald observed, had been based by Dr. Gray 
upon a skull “ received in Dr. Falconer’s collection and presented to 
the British Museum by his brother on his death.” The locality 
“India” given by Dr. Gray, Mr. Theobald considered must be in- 
correct, as the only species of Testudo inhabiting India proper was 
