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Occurrence. A few female specimens of this form were collected, many 

 years ago, at Eggesb0nses, west coast of Norway, and some additional specimens, 

 among them a single male, were recently picked up from the residue of the 

 same collecting bottle, in which, as mentioned above, several species of Ascomyzon 

 were found. 



Distribution. British Isles (Scott), Bay of Naples (Giesbrecht), Ceylon 

 (A. Scott). 



Fam. 5. Acontiophoridae. 



Characters. General form of body resembling that in the Ascomyzontidce, 

 the anterior division being more or less dilated, the posterior one attenuated. 

 Anterior antenna not much produced, and densely clothed with partly ciliated 

 setse, no distinct boundary being found, as in most of the Ascomyzontidce, between 

 the proximal and distal portions; a small terminal part, however, distinguishable, 

 formed by the outermost joints succeeding that carrying the usual sesthetask. 

 Posterior antenna rather unlike those in the Ascomyzontidce, the terminal joint 

 being much more fully developed and provided with several spines and setse; 

 outer ramus comparatively large, though uniarticulate. Oral cone produced into 

 a very narrow siphonal tube somewhat resembling that in Scottocheres, Mandibles 

 with the masticatory part imperfectly developed, terminating in a simple hair- 

 like point, which does not extend to the end of the tube; palp replaced by a 

 single very large and densely plumose seta. Maxillae with the basal part unusu- 

 ally large and massive, lobes more or less curved downwards and provided with 

 richly ciliated setse. Maxillipeds of the usual structure. Natatory legs likewise 

 on the whole normally built. Last pair of legs comparatively small, with the 

 proximal joint imperfectly defined; distal joint scarcely lamellar, and provided 

 with several spiniform setse. 



Remarks. This family is established to include the genus Acontiophorus 

 of Brady, which seems to me to differ in some respects so materially from the 

 preceding genera comprised within the family Ascomyzontidce, that it can hardly 

 be associated with them. The structure of the posterior antennae and the oral 

 parts, in particular, is very unlike that found in the true Ascomyzontidce. I am 

 inclined to believe that the 2 hitherto known species, A. suctatus and ornatus, 

 should more properly be regarded as types of 2 nearly-allied genera, as their 

 outward appearance is rather dissimilar, and some of the structural details also 



