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 some- 
times 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 in 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 evi- 
dence, 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. Gray, 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 Tes/udo appears to be T. ele- 
phantopus, or the “ Elephant-Tortoise of the Galapagos” of Mr. 
Harlan, which has hitherto been confounded with 7. 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. Tesrupo (Goruer) cuiLensis. (Plate XL.) B.M. 
Testudo suleata, D’Orbigny, Voy. dans ? Amévr. Mer. Rept. 6; 
Burmeister, Reise durch die La Plata-Staaten, ii, 52). 
