94 



Dr. A. Philippics Zoological Notices. 



3. Asterope, a new Genus of Ostracopoda. 

 Plate III. fig. 9—11. 



I had frequently found in the sea-sand, and between Zoo- 

 phytes, Cytherina-iike shells of several species, which differed 

 essentially from Cytherina by an incision (indentation) in the 

 shell, but only on the 6th of March of this year did I succeed 

 in finding in Palermo an individual with the animal. If in- 

 deed it was not possible for me to distinguish all its organs, 

 yet I fully convinced myself that the animal also is so consi- 

 derably distinct both from Cypris and Cytherina, as well as 

 from Cypridina, Milne- Edwards (which genus I have likewise 

 been so fortunate as to observe), that it must necessarily form 

 a separate genus. 



The shell is only half a line long, of a brownish colour, per- 

 fectly elliptical, but has in front and beneath an incision, and 

 on both sides of this incision the margin is thickened. Be- 

 neath the incisure lie the antennae ; behind the first pair of 

 feet, at the hinder extremity, the apex of the tail peeped out. 

 With a greater magnifying power the shells appeared beset 

 with opake white points. The shells could be easily removed, 

 and the animal now appeared as shown in fig. 11. Imme- 

 diately behind the eye, which on being pressed between the 

 glass plates showed itself to be a double one, a pear-shaped 

 muscle is directed upwards, and serves to fasten the animal on 

 each side to the shells ; behind which I observed a couple of cy- 

 lindrical annulated filaments provided with some bristles, and 

 behind these still two other pair, shorter, thicker filaments, 

 not annulated, and not furnished with bristles. These organs 

 probably serve for the adhesion of the eggs. There is only 

 one pair of antennas, the greatest organ on the whole animal, as 

 it equals the body in length. They are situated immediately 

 beneath the eyes, have a large ovate basal joint, which forms 

 with a second cylindrical joint of the same length the petiole, 

 and terminates with a short many-jointed flagella (Geissel) be- 

 set brush-like with long bristles. There are two pairs of feet, 

 both of which are directed forwards, and seem to be only Parti- 

 culate ; both joints are subelongate, much compressed, nearly 

 foliaceous, and ciliated with few but strong bristles. The tail 

 is compressed, broad, curved downwards, and somewhat for- 

 wards, and furnished with about ten hooks, w hich are first at 

 the apex bent, then curved backwards, and which gradually de- 

 crease in size from the front hindwards. At the base of each 

 foot are situated two nearly triangular lamellae, which are an- 

 teriorly bent outwards, and densely beset with long stiff cilia, 

 fig. B. query branchiae ? Behind these and before the tail I 



