A Monograph on the Sub-class Cirripedia (Volume 1 of 2): The Lepadidae; Or, Pedunculated CirripedesDarwin, Charles
Science
A Monograph on the Sub-class Cirripedia (Volume 1 of 2): The Lepadidae; Or, Pedunculated Cirripedes
Darwin, Charles
Cirripedia; Lepadidae
The capitulum is formed of four valves, but is hardly distinct from the
peduncle. The latter includes, in its wide upper part, the animal’s
body. The valves, namely, a pair of scuta and terga, are composed of an
extremely hard, horny substance, or properly chitine, and do not contain
any calcareous matter; they are extremely flat or thin, and both pairs
project freely, like curved horns, to a considerable height above the
sack enclosing the body: the terga project about twice as much as the
scuta, and their flat apices generally diverge a little. The tips of the
valves are frequently broken off; their surfaces are plainly marked or
ribbed by the layers of growth, which are wide apart. The bases of the
valves externally are hidden by the long spines of the peduncle.
_Scuta._--These are shorter and broader than the terga; their internal
(Pl. IV, fig. 8 _b´_) growing or corium-covered surfaces are slightly
concave, triangular, with the basal margin longer than the other margins
and slightly excised in the middle: there is no depression for the
strong adductor muscle: the internal surface of the free horn-like
portion, has a small central fold (formed by an oblique crest) running
from the summit of the triangular growing surface to the tip of the
valve: in perfect specimens, the growing and the free horn-like portions
(the latter represented much too long in fig. 8 _a´_ and _b´_) are about
equal in length: the basal portion of one side of the scutum overlaps
the tergum.
_Terga._--The internal glowing surface (fig. 8 _b´_) is almost
diamond-shaped, and less in area than the sputa: external surface
rounded; internal surface of the free horn-like portion, slightly
concave.
_Colour and Structure of Valves._--The external surfaces of the scuta
and terga are yellow along the middle, plainly marked by zones of
growth, and finely ribbed longitudinally: the internal surfaces and
sides of the horns of the two valves, are coloured fine blue or purple;
in the terga, however, the internal surface is mottled with yellow. In
some specimens, especially in one from Tavoy, each zone of growth was
only very narrowly edged with blue. When a thin layer is removed from
one of the valves, the dark blue or rather purple appears by transmitted
light a beautiful pale blue; and it is a very singular fact, that this
blue portion is permanently turned by very gentle into a fiery red; the
same singular effect is produced by muriatic and acetic acids. This blue
part is much harder than the yellow; the latter exhibits, under a high
power, a folded structure, and is penetrated by a few tubuli, whereas
the harder blue portion has a cellular or scaled appearance. The spines
of the peduncle exhibit, in a smaller degree, similar phenomena.
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