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
[67] I owe to the great kindness of Prof. Steenstrup the sight of
this Plate, published in the ‘Scientific Communications from the
Union of Natural History,’ Copenhagen, January 30, 1850, No. I.
Since this sheet has been set up in type, I have received from
Prof. Steenstrup the memoir, in Danish, belonging to the figures
in question; and the greater part of this has been translated to
me by the kindness of a friend. My account of the means of
burrowing is essentially the same as that published by Reinhardt;
but the moulting of the scales on the peduncle, the presence of
scales and of points of a different nature, the method of
attachment by cement, the conversion of the discs into a cup,
&c., seem not to have been known to this naturalist. Reinhardt
states that the points on the peduncle will scratch Iceland spar,
and that, apparently, they are formed of phosphate of lime: in
the case of the closely-allied _L. dorsalis_, I must believe that
the scales or beads on the peduncle are formed of carbonate of
lime, for they were quickly dissolved with effervescence in
acetic acid; and the star-headed points, which are subsequently
developed under the calcareous scales, appeared to me, under the
compound microscope, to be formed of a horn or chitine substance.
Reinhardt states that the basal point of the peduncle is arched a
little under the lowest disc, and there forms for itself a slight
furrow (as represented in the lateral view, Pl. VIII, fig. 2);
but in the burrows examined by me, this furrow or depression did
not really exist, the appearance resulting from the basal margin
of the lowest disc, projecting beyond the wall of the cavity by
the amount of its own slight thickness.
* * * * *
We will now proceed with our generic description.--
_Animal’s Body._--This, as already stated, is partially lodged within
the peduncle. The prosoma is rather largely developed.
The _Mouth_ is placed at a moderate distance from the adductor muscle.
The _Labrum_ is moderately bullate, with a row of blunt bead-like teeth,
mingled with fine bristles, on the crest, which in the middle part is
generally somewhat flattened.
The _Palpi_ are blunt, and even squarely truncated at their ends; they
are of large size, so that, if they had been half as large again, or
even less, their tips would have met.
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