124 OP HID I A. 



The color above is dull-brown, and bluish on the sides, with a 

 longitudinal light stripe upon each. The abdomen is lighter than 

 the back, with the base of the scutellae bluish. The tail beneath is 

 unicolor, with an external series of bluish spots. 



Log. — A specimen, a little over eight inches, was collected on 

 Puget Sound, Washington Territory. 



Plate IX, fig. 8, represents Lodia tenuis, size of life. 

 Fig. 9, is the head, in a profile view. 

 Fig. 10, an upper view of the head. 

 Fig. 11, the head, from below. 



Figs. 9-11 are double the size of life, for the purpose of showing 

 more accurately the various plates. 



Genus CONTIA, B. & G. 



Char. gen. — Corpore hrevissimo. Capite ovato. Oculis parvls. Rostro 

 trancaio. Scutis cephalicis normalihus. Scuti alii sunt : nasalis, loreus 

 praeorbitalis, et postorhitalis. Squamis laevibus. ScuteUa praeanali, 

 seu postahdominali, divisa ; suhcaudalibus in duplicem seriem dis- 

 positis. 



Gen. Char. — Body rather short. Head ovoid. Eyes small. Snout 

 truncated. Cephalic plates normal. One nasal ; nostril in the 

 middle. One loral. One anteorbital and one postorbital. Scales 

 smooth. Postabdominal scutella divided. Subcaudal scutellae dis- 

 posed upon a double series. 



^Y^.— Gontia, B. & G. Catal. N. Amer. Bept. I, 1853, 110. 



Observ. — This is another representative of the family of Calama- 

 ridae, in Western North America. The only species of the genus 

 known to the present day, is described further on. 



