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12. Paracypris polita, G. O. Sars. 



(PI. XXXI) 

 Paracypris polita, G. O. Sars, Oversigt af Norges marine Ostracoder, p. 12. 



Specific Characters. Female. Shell much compressed, seen laterally, of 

 a very narrow, almost cuneiform shape, being gradually attenuated behind, 

 greatest height far in front of the middle and only slightly exceding Va of 

 the length, dorsal margin abruptly arched in front and sloping steeply behind, 

 ventral margin distinctly sinuated, anterior extremity well rounded, posterior 

 much exerted and tapering to an obtuse point; seen dorsally, narrow lanceolate 

 in outline, greatest width somewhat in front of the middle and not nearly at- 

 taining Va of the length, both extremities obtusely pointed. Valves nearly equal, 

 with the surface smooth and polished and almost devoid of any hairy clothing; 

 inner duplicatures rather broad, marginal zone highly chitinised and crossed 

 by fine arborescent stripes, being particularly broad ventrally. Caudal rami 

 somewhat curved and slightly tapering distally, apical claws rather strong, dorsal 

 setae subequal, somewhat recurved, and attached at a short distance from the end. 



Colour of shell pale yellow, with an irregular flexuous band of a reddish 

 brown hue along the ventral side of the valves. 



Length of adult female amounting to 1.30 mm. 



Male unknown. 



Remarks. In the outward appearance this form bears a certain resemblance 

 to some of the Pontocy prince, particularly to the species of the genus Erythro- 

 cypris, but may be readily distinguished from these species by the perfectly 

 smooth and polished surface of the shell and by the want of any obvious 

 hairy clothing. In the structure of the limbs it differs very decidedly from any 

 forms of that subfamily, and it is only in the shape of the sensory appendage 

 the posterior antennae that some agreement with those forms is found. 



Occurrence. I have met with this handsome Ostracod in several localities 

 on the south and west coasts of Norway, at moderate depths, but nowhere 

 in any abundance. All the specimens obtained were of the female sex. The 

 animal is quite devoid of swimming power, but crawls rather dexterely along 

 the bottom, at times burrowing more or less deeply into the loose mud. 



Distribution. British Isles (Brady), Bay of Biskaye, Mediterranean (Norma 



Fossil in postglacial beds of Norway, Scotland and Sicily. 



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