94 SYNOPSES AND DESCRIPTIONS. 



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

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

 ground, California. 



CONTIA EPISCOPA, ^jZ. VI, Jiff. 2. 



LAMPE0S05IA EPiscopuM Kcmiicott, 1859, Mex. Boundary Sunrij Rcpt.,p. 22, iil. VIII, f. 2. 

 CoNTiA EPISCOPA Cope, 1875, Clicck list, 36. 



Body stout, subcylindrical, tapering posteriorly; head not distinct from 

 neck, short, 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 8| inches ; tail 1 J inches. Texas. 



NiNIA. 



Baird & Girard, 1S53. 



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 Uehmanni. 



tail short; 



labials seven; brownish-white to brown; 



a black collar schae. 



labials six ; brov/n to black ; 



no collar • sieholdi. 



tail long, slender; 



back black; belly white; 



a light collar diademata. 



