SYNOPSES AND DESCRIPTIONS 03 



CONTIA PYGAEA, pi. VII, fi<J. 5. 

 Cope, 1871, Proc. Ac. X. Sfe., PhU., 223. 



Small, moderately stout; head little broader than the neck, subcorneal, 

 slightly depressed; tail short, near one sixth of the total length, distinct, 

 tapering to a point. Eye moderately large, pupil round. Head-shields 

 nine. Rostral broad, low. Internasals narrow in front. Nostril small, 

 round, nearer the upper edge of the nasal, which is grooved to the anterior 

 labial. Lower angle of the loreal produced toward the eye. One anteor- 

 bital, narrow below. Postorbitals two. Labials eight, third, fourth, and 

 fifth touching the eye. Infralabials 9. One temporal in contact with the 

 orbitals, sometimes divided. Scales keeled, roof-shaped, or smooth, in 17 

 rows, apparently subhexangular, medial narrow, outer wider than long. 

 Ventrals 120 — 133. Anal bifid. Subcaudals 35 — 54 pairs. 



Back uniform brown; in some young specimens each scale bears a light 

 line, which has the effect of strong keels. Bases of the ventrals dark 

 toward the flanks, more uniform yellow medially. The dark color of the 

 ventrals along the outer row forms a zigzag longitudinal line. Largest 

 specimen 6J inches ; tail one inch. North Carolina to Florida. 



CONTIA MITIS. 

 Baird & Girard, 1853, Cat. N. A. Serp., 110. 



Elongate, depressed; head depressed, little larger than the neck; snout 

 short, broad, rounded in front ; tail short, rather thick, tapering gradually 

 to a short distance from the tip, whence more abruptly to the spine-like 

 point. Eyes small, over the third and fourth labials. Head-shields nine, 

 anterior short, broad. Rostral broader than high. Nasal divided, often 

 partly or entirely united. Loreal present, sometimes fused with the pre- 

 frontals. Orbitals 1—2, rarely 1 — 1. Temporals 1 + 2. Labials seven, 

 sixth largest. Infralabials seven, fourth largest. Anterior submentals 

 much the larger. Scales smooth, in 15 rows, outer broader. Ventrals 

 161. Anal divided. Subcaudals 33 — 39 pairs. 



Light reddish-brown, punctulate with black. A yellowish line on each 

 flank, on the fourth and fifth rows of scales. Bases of all the scales 

 darker, more distinctly so on the third and fourth rows, which presents 

 the appearance of a darker line continued forward to the nostrils, darken- 

 ing on the sides of the head and neck. Base of each ventral broadly 



