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
perfectly distinct; and the whole cavity of the body was lined with
globular and pear-shaped testes. Assuredly there was no vestige of
ovarian tubes. From the greater size and excellent preservation of this
specimen, which rendered the examination of the generative system so
easy, I was able to examine the contents of the stomach, in which I
found the delicate epithelial coat, separated as usual, and containing
cellular matter, on which the animal had preyed, but the nature of which
I was unable to make out. The anus was much plainer than in the male of
_I. Cumingii_. I saw the eye distinctly. I could not distinguish the
orifices of the acoustic (?) sacks; and I think I should have seen them,
if they had existed.
_Prehensile Antennæ._--I examined these in the larvæ presently to be
mentioned, and therefore they were in better condition than in the
mature animal when cemented. Their total length, measured along the
outside, from the basal articulation to the end of the disc, is
32/6000ths or 33/6000ths of an inch--that is, one third longer than in
_I. Cumingii_; whilst the hoof-like disc itself is 8/6000ths, or only
1/6000th of an inch longer than this same part in _I. Cumingii_: the
apex of the disc is downy, or bears some excessively minute spines. The
ultimate segment has its end irregularly rounded, with the spines
obscurely divided into two groups, the outer group consisting of two or
three longer and thinner spines, and the inner group of, as I believe,
five rather shorter spines: the longer spines equal in length the whole
ultimate segment. I could not perceive that they were plumose, as in
many other genera. A single, rather thicker and long spine, pointing
backwards, is attached to the under side of the disc, nearly opposite to
the point where the ultimate segment is articulated on the upper convex
surface. Another single, curved spine is attached on the outer side of
the basal segment, near its distal end.
_Development of the Male._--In the specimen before alluded to, which
included two males, one of these was only the 30/1000ths of an inch in
length, and therefore between one fifth and one sixth of the size of the
mature male. It had, probably, undergone only one exuviation since its
metamorphosis, for the larva is nearly as long, namely, 25/1000ths of an
inch. In this young male, the mouth formed one third of the entire
length: it was attached, not as in every other case to the sack of the
hermaphrodite, but low down to the peduncle of the other male.
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