A Monograph on the Sub-class Cirripedia (Volume 1 of 2): The Lepadidae; Or, Pedunculated CirripedesDarwin, Charles
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A Monograph on the Sub-class Cirripedia (Volume 1 of 2): The Lepadidae; Or, Pedunculated Cirripedes
Darwin, Charles
Cirripedia; Lepadidae
_Cirri._--The segments of the three posterior pairs bear four pairs of
spines, with the usual intermediate fine spines; dorsal spines thin and
thick mingled together. _First cirrus_, short, with the anterior ramus
rather the thickest and shortest; all the segments thickly paved with
bristles, except the two terminal segments, of which the ultimate one
bears some serrated spines of most unusual length, namely, equalling
within one segment the entire length of the ramus. I presume that these
spines serve as feelers. _Second cirrus_; anterior ramus much thicker
and considerably shorter than the posterior ramus; six basal segments
paved with bristles, the two terminal segments having the usual
structure; posterior ramus with all its nine segments on the usual
structure. _Third cirrus_, longer, to a remarkable degree, than the
second cirrus, with its anterior ramus having the four basal segments
paved, and the seven terminal ones on the usual structure; posterior
ramus with twelve segments, of which none are paved. The pedicels of the
second and third cirri thickly and irregularly clothed with spines. The
upper segments of the pedicels of all the cirri are unusually long.
_Caudal Appendages_, longer than the pedicels of the sixth cirrus, by
barely one third of their own length. Segments much elongated, seven in
number; I may add for comparison that each ramus of the sixth cirrus
contained, in this specimen, sixteen or seventeen segments.
_General Remarks._--It is difficult to give obvious characters,
(excepting the smallness of the rostrum compared with the scales on the
peduncle,) by which this species can be externally discriminated from
_L. dorsalis_, _L. Nicobarica_, and _L. Rhodiopus_; yet almost all the
valves differ slightly in shape. In this species alone, (the peduncle of
_L. Rhodiopus_ is not known,) the lower, microscopically minute,
bead-like scales of the peduncle are crenated, though obscurely, all
round. In the animal’s body, the diagnostic characters are strongly
marked;--the long spines on the terminal segment of the first
cirrus,--none of the segments in the posterior rami of the second and
third cirri being thickened and paved with bristles,--the pectinations
being equal in number between the main teeth of the mandibles,--are all
characters exclusively confined to this species.
3. LITHOTRYA NICOBARICA. Pl. VIII, fig. 2.
L. NICOBARICA. _Reinhardt_, Naturhist; Selskabet, Copenhagen. No.
I. 1850. Tab. I, fig. 1-3.[68]
[68] I am not at all sure that the proper title of the periodical
in which this species has been described, is here given. I am
greatly indebted to Prof. Steenstrup for sending me a separate
copy of the paper in question, written in Danish. I believe I am
right in identifying the specimen here described, from Timor,
with the species from the Nicobar Islands, named by Reinhardt,
_L. Nicobarica_.
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