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
appearance common in other Cirripedes. Directly between the bases of the
sixth cirrus, there is a very minute papillus, which, under the highest
power, can be seen to consist of two closely approximate, flattened
points; these, I have no doubt, are the caudal appendages in an
extremely rudimentary condition, for I traced the vesiculæ seminales to
this exact spot: close outside these rudimentary points, on a slight
swelling, is the anus. It will presently be seen that in the male of the
closely allied _Ibla quadrivalvis_, the nature of these caudal
appendages admits of no doubt, for in this species they consist of more
than one segment, are spinose, and close under them towards the mouth,
there is a perfectly distinct papillus, representing the usual
probosciformed penis.
_Alimentary Canal._--The oesophagus is very narrow, and of remarkable
length; from the orifice under the mandibles, it first runs back (in
this respect not well represented in Pl. V, fig. 1,) under the bullate
labrum, and then straight down the peduncle, where it terminates in the
usual bell-shaped expansion, entering one side of the small globular
stomach; the latter, at its lower end, is slightly constricted, and then
is rather abruptly upturned. The rectum is of unparalleled length, and
extremely narrow; it can be best detected after the dissolution by
caustic potash of the softer parts, when its inner coat of chitine can
be seen to be continuous, in the ordinary manner, with the outer
integuments of the thorax. The anus, as already stated, is seated on a
slight swelling, and consists of a small longitudinal slit (_f_, fig.
2), placed close outside the two very minute caudal appendages.
_Organ of Sight._--In all the specimens, a little below the fold
separating the mouth from the peduncle, and near the abdominal (or
rostral) edge, a black ball (_c_, fig. 1), about 1/1000th of an inch in
diameter, is conspicuous. When dissected out, it is somewhat conical in
form, and appears to consist of an outer coat, with a layer of
pigment-cells of a dark purple colour, surrounding a transparent, rather
hard lens, apparently leaving a circular orifice at the summit, and
forming a short tube at the base, surrounding what I believe to be a
nerve. I was not able to perceive that this eye consisted of two eyes
united, which the analogy of other Cirripedes makes me suppose probable,
although in the ordinary and hermaphrodite _Ibla quadrivalvis_, the eye
also appeared single. It is seated under the two transparent muscular
layers, close upon the upper end of the stomach, and this is the exact
position, as stated in the introductory discussion (p. 49), in which the
eyes of pedunculated Cirripedes are commonly situated.
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