116 LODIA. 



Genus liODIA, Baird & Girard. 



Gen. Char. Head ovoidal, distinct from the body. Two vertical 

 plates ; a small anterior one being situated between the postfrontals 

 immediately in advance of the vertical proper. Two nasals. Loral 

 entering into the orbit ; above it one anteorbital. Postorbitals two. 

 Superciliaries elongated and well developed. Mental scutellae one 

 pair. Eyes proportionally large, circular. Scales smooth. Pos.t- 

 abdominal scutella bifid. Subcaudal, all in pairs. 



LiOdia. tenuis^ B. & G. — Body dull brown above, bluish on the sides, 

 with a longitudinal lighter stripe on each flank. Abdomen lighter ; bases 

 of scutellae bluish. Tail beneath unicolor, with an external series of bluish 

 spots. Dorsal scales in 15 rows. 



Stn. Calamaria tenuis, B. & G. Proc. Acad. Nat. So. Philad. VI, 1852, 176. 



Vertical plate hexagonal, as broad anteriorly as posteriorly. An- 

 terior vertical ovoidal or subelliptical, intermediate between the post- 

 frontals, which are angular and extend to the sides of the head. 

 Prefrontals sub triangular, about half the size of postfrontals. Rostral 

 broad and well developed. Occipitals subangular externally, propor- 

 tionally large and elongated. Nasals large, nostrils in the middle, 

 between both plates. Loral large, polygonal, elongated, situated 

 above the commissure of the 2d and 3d upper labials, entering into 

 the orbit as an inferior anteorbital. A quadrangular superior ante- 

 orbital, enclosed between the postfrontal, superciliary, and loral. Two 

 angular postorbitals, inferior one resting on the commissure of 

 the 4th and 5th labials. Superciliaries oblong. Temporal shields 

 conspicuous, anterior one elongated and largest. Mouth deeply 

 cleft. Upper labials 6 ; the three posterior ones a little larger than 

 the three anterior. Lower labials 6 ; 4th largest. Mental sfcutellae 

 one pair. Body slender, subcylindrical ; tail short, conical, and 

 tapering. Scales proportionally large, rhomboidal, smooth, forming 

 15 dorsal rows; outer row but slightly broader than the rest. 



Pugct Sound, Or. 150 + 1. 33. 15. 81-. l\. (on dep.) Espl. Exped. 



