99. COKTIA. 267 



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

 deep; one pnc- 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 ir>* (172?); anal divided; subcaudals 34-44. Yellowish 

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

 complete annuli round the tail ; white inferiorly. 



Total length 285 millim. ; tail 56. 



Arizona and Texas. 



17. Contia pachynra. 

 Contia pachyura, Cope, Journ. Ac. Philad. viii. 1870, p. \-\~>. 



Frontal rather elongate, but shorter than the parietals ; loreal 

 large, deeper than long ; one pra> 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 ; belly yellowish, each shield with a black extremity. 



Total length 335 millim. 



Sipurio, Costa Rica. 



18. Contia mitis. 



Contia mitis, Baird 8f Gir. Cat. N. Am. Kept. p. 110 (1853) ; Girard, 

 U.S. Rrplor. Eiyed- Herp. p. 125, pi. x. figs. 6-12 (1858), and 

 Rep. U.S. Krplor. R. R. x. pt. iii. pi. xxxvi. fig. 7 (1869) ; Cj: 

 Proc. Ac. Philad. 1861, p. 74 ; Garm. N. Am. Rept. p. 93 (1883) ; 

 Bocourt, Miss. Sc. MCJ-., Rept. p. 557, pi. xxxiv. fig. 3 (1883). 



Ablabes purpureocauda, Giinth. 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 interaasals as long as or shorter 

 than that between the prsefrontals ; 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 prae- 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 in contact with each other. Scales in 15 rows. Ventrals 

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

 darker ; a yellowish line along each side of the back ; a blackish 

 i-tn-ak 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. 



