94 SYNOPSES AXI> DESCRIPTIONS. 



banded with black. The subcaudals are much lighter, which suggests 

 the possible existence of a habit of carrying the tail raised from tho 

 ground. California, 



Contia episcopa, pi VI, fig. 2. 



Lamprosoma episcopum Kennicott, 1859, Mex. Boundary Survey Rept.,p. 22, j'h VIII, f. 2. 

 Contia episcopa Cope, liSy.'i, Check lint, 30. 



Body stout, subcylindrical, tapering posteriorly ; head nut distinct from 

 neck, shoi't, depressed, crown flat; tail short, thick, conical. Eye moder- 

 ate, pupil round. Nostril small, lateral. Nasal entire. Head-shields 

 normal. Frontals short, broad. The upper angle of the rostral bent 

 back between the internasals. Loreal small, sometimes united with the 

 postfrontals. Orbitals 1 — 2. Labials seven, third and fourth in orbit. 

 Infralabials seven, fourth largest. Temporals 1+2. Anterior submentals 

 very large, posterior very small. Scales smooth, nearly square, in 15 

 rows, outer broader. Ventrals 145. Anal bifid. Subcaudals 45 pairs. 



Uniform yellowish or greenish-brown, each scale with a lighter margin. 

 Belly yellowish. Total length 8f inches ; tail If inches. Texas. 



NlNIA. 



Baird & Girard, 1853. 



Moderately elongate ; tail rather short. Eye small, pupil round. Teeth 

 equal, smooth. Internasals and supraoculars small. Nasal divided. Lo- 

 real and anteorbital fused. Postorbitals two. Scales keeled, in 17 — 19 

 rows. Anal entire. Subcaudals bifid. 



Prefrontals united liebmanni. 



tail short; 



labials seven; brownish- white to brown; 



a black collar selae. 



labials six; brown to black; 



no collar skbohli. 



tail long, slender; 



back black; belly white; 



a light collar diademata. 



