99. coNTiA. 267 



snout, shorter than the parietals ; loreal very small, longer than 

 deep; one pnu- and two postoculars ; temporals 1 + 2 ; seven upper 

 labials, third and fourth entering the eye ; four lower labials in 

 contact with the anterior chin-shields ; posterior chin-shields very 

 small and separated from each other. Scales in 15 rows. Ventrals 

 147-158 (172?): anal divided: subcaudals 34-44. Yellowish 

 above, reddish in the middle, with black transverse bands forming 

 complete annuli round the tail ; white iuferiorly. 



Total length 285 millim. ; tail 56. 



Arizona and Texas. 



17. Contia pachyura. 



Contia pachyura, Cope, Journ. Ac. Pliilad. viii. 1876, p. 145. 



Frontal rather elongate, but shorter than the parietals ; loreal 

 large, deeper than long : one pras- and two postoculars ; temporals 

 1 -}- 1 ; eight upper labials, fourth and fifth entering the eye ; chin- 

 shields equal, rather elongate. Scales in 17 rows. Ventrals 133 ; 

 subcaudals 50. Black, the lower lateral rows of scales with a 

 rufous shade ; scales of the first row with grey tips ; head blackish 

 brown, with a black line from eye above labials ; latter yellowish, 

 unspotted ; beUy yellowish, each shield with a black extremity. 



Total length 335 millim. 



Sipurio, Costa Eica. 



18. Contia mitis. 



Contia mitis, Baird ^- Gir. Cat. N. Am.Rept. p. 110 (1853) ; Girard, 

 U.S. Erplor. Exped., Kerp. p. 125, pi. x. figs. 6-12 (1858), and 

 Rep. U.S. Erplor. R. R. x. pt. iii. pi. xxxvi. fig. 7 (1859) ; Cojie, 

 Proc. Ac. Pliilad. 1861, p. 74; Gann. A". Am. Rept. p. 93 (1883) ; 

 Bocourt, Miss. So. Mex., Rept. p. 557, pi. xxxiv. fig. 3 (1883). 



Ablates purpureocaiida, Giiidh. Cat. p. 245 (1858). 



Homalosoma mite, Jan, Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. ii. 1862, p. 35, and 

 Icon. Gen. 13, pi. iv. fig. 1 (1865). 



"Rostral broader than deep, just visible from above ; nasal divided 

 or semidivided ; suture between the internasals as long as or shorter 

 than that between the praefrontals ; frontal not once and a half 

 as long as broad, longer than its distance from the end of the 

 snout, shorter than the parietals ; loreal small, longer than deep ; 

 one prffi- and two postoculars; temporals l-|-2; seven upper 

 labials, third and fourth entering the eye; four lower labials in 

 contact with the anterior chin-shields ; posterior chin-shields verv 

 small and in contact with each other. Scales in 15 rows. Ventrals 

 147-167 ; anal divided ; subcaudals 29-39. Brown above, sides 

 darker; a j'ellowish line along each side of the back; a blackish 

 streak on each side of the head, passing through the eye, and a 

 black spot on the rostral ; ventrals whitish, with a broad black 

 anterior border. 



Total length 310 millim. : tail 40. 



California. 



