1^- ME. T. SCOTT ON ENTOMOSTEACA 



One of the most interesting captures was an Ostracod closely allied to Cypria exsculpta 

 (Fischer), which in this Report is named provisionally C]jpna atlantica; it was 

 obtained in the gathering collected off the mouth of the River Congo, referred to above, 

 at about 40 miles from land. It is well known to students of the Entomostraca that 

 several species of the Cypridae, as, for example, Cypria ophthalmica (Jurine), Cypris 

 prasina, Fischer, Candona Candida (Milller), &c., though usually or frequently obtained 

 in fresh water, are nevertheless occasioually obtained also in water more or less brackish, 

 but have not been known to occur in the open sea, except as dead shells ; it is therefore 

 interesting to find a species closely resembling a freshwater Cy^ma living in the sea so 

 many miles from land. 



It is possible that the fresh water poured into the sea by the River Congo may extend 

 to a distance of 40 miles or more from land before it becomes thoroughly mingled with the 

 water of the Atlantic, and may thus form a suitable hahUat for a species which possibly 

 would not be able to Live in pure sea-water. Whether this be tbe correct explanation 

 of the occurrence of a Cypria so far out at sea, or not, it is a subject of some interest as 

 bearing on the distribution of species. 



It may he stated in connexion with this that several surface tow-net gatherings were 

 collected off the mouth of the Congo, and within a few miles of each other, but the 

 Cypria was observed only in the one mentioned under the description of the species. 



Though the Ostracoda described in this Report be comparatively few in number, they 

 nevertheless include representatives of three out of the four principal Groups, viz. : — 

 the Podocopa, the Myodocopa, and the Platycopa. The following are the descriptions 

 of species obtained belonging to these three Groups : — 



I. PODOCOPA. 

 Family CYPRID^. 



Cypria, Zenker (1854). 



(?) Cypkia atlantica, n. sp. (PI. XIV. figs. 31-33 ; PI. XV. figs. 16, 20, 21, 25.) 

 Shell compressed ; seen from the side, the dorsal margin is considerably arched, 

 hio-hest and somewhat angular in front of the middle ; the dorsal margin slopes gently 

 backwards from the highest part in a nearly straight line till it joins the broadly curved 

 posterior margin ; the front slojie has a greater declivity and is very slightly curved, and 

 niero-es in the boldly rounded anterior margin ; ventral margin nearly straight. Greatest 

 height equal to two-thirds of the length. Outline seen from above ovate ; sides evenly 

 rounded, widest behind the middle ; greatest width equal to about seven sixteenths of 

 the leno'th ; extremities acutely angular, but more so in front than behind ; the sides 

 also converge more gradually towards the anterior extremity than they do posteriorly. 

 Surface of shell ornamented with impressed reticulate lines, having the interspaces 



