We were unwillingly drawn into a controversy respecting this shell some years ago. Our sentiments, in every thing that regards the shell itself, are unchanged. Not so with respect to the individual. The civilities and attentions we have since received from Mr. Gray, leave us to regret, very sincerely, that such a discussion should have ever taken place. * * * * * * [Illustration: MITRA. Pl. 3. _1, adusta. 2, ambigua. 3, punctata._] MITRA fulva. ---- SPECIFIC CHARACTER. _Shell ovate-acute, smooth, fulvous, unspotted, marked with transverse sulcated striæ, containing punctured dots: body whorl contracted; suture crenated: base obtuse: outer lip thickly and strongly crenated; the crenations, and the plaits on the pillar, white._ ---- The different nomenclature of Lamark and Dillwyn, induced us to suspect that our present species might still be retained under the name of _adusta_; but as a greater degree of confusion may perhaps arise in so doing, than that which we wished to avoid, we have now given it a distinct name, and defined its true characters. It is sometimes partially dotted with pure white. The _M. adusta_ of Lamark is, in short, the same as the _ruffina_ of Linnæus: or at least that species which Dr. Solander and Mr. Dillwyn conceive to be such. Our shell is from the Isle of France, and is not common: the crenated teeth on the lip are very strong; the base obtuse, and effuse: the spire and aperture of equal length. ---- MITRA ambigua. _Shell ovate-fuciform, rufous, with a white band near the suture, transversely striated and punctured, suture and outer lip crenated, base contracted; spire shorter than the aperture._ Less distinctly striated and punctured than the last; but differs considerably in being almost a fuciform shell: the base of the aperture is consequently contracted. We possess but one specimen, and know not its locality. ---- MITRA punctata. _Shell ovate, brown, striated and punctured: spire very small, somewhat conic: outer lip crenated: pillar six-plaited._ A beautifully perfect shell of this new and very rare species, we procured from our friend Mrs. Mawe; we have never seen another: the inside of the lip is margined with deep brown. * * * * * * [Illustration: _Golden back'd Tanager, male._ T. Flava.] AGLAÏA flava. _Yellow Tanager._ ---- SPECIFIC CHARACTER. _Above glossy fulvous yellow; sides of the head, and middle of the throat, breast, and body, deep black; wings and tail green._ Tanagra flava. _Lath. In. Orn. 1, 431._ Tanagra Braziliensis flava. _Briss. Orn. 3, 39, 22._ Le guira-perea. _Buff. Son. 12, p. 362._ Yellow Tanager. _Lath. Syn. 3, 244. Gen. Hist. 4, 22._ Tanagra chloroptera. _Vieil. Orn. 2._ ----