A Monograph on the Sub-class Cirripedia (Volume 2 of 2): The Balanidæ, (or Sessile Cirripedes); the Verrucidæ, etc., etc.Darwin, Charles
Science
A Monograph on the Sub-class Cirripedia (Volume 2 of 2): The Balanidæ, (or Sessile Cirripedes); the Verrucidæ, etc., etc.
Darwin, Charles
Balanidae; Cirripedia
_Compartments._--The upper parts of the parietal pores are either
filled up solidly with, generally coloured, shell, or they are
crossed by thin transverse calcerous septa: the longitudinal parietal
septa occasionally bifurcate at their bases close to the outer
lamina, making an irregular outer row of minute pores. The _Radii_
have their septa rather fine, and finely denticulated on both sides,
but sometimes only on the lower side; the thickness of the septa
varies a little; the interspaces are filled up solidly; the summits
of the radii are jagged and oblique, and usually form an angle of
about 45° with the basis, not being added to above the level of the
opercular membrane; but not rarely they reach up much higher, and
are very nearly parallel to the basis, extending from tip to tip of
the compartments. Again, in some ordinary varieties, and always in
_var. Stutsburi_, the summits of the radii are extremely oblique, the
radii themselves forming a mere border to the compartments to which
they belong. In no other species have I seen so great an amount of
variation in the form of the summits of the radii. The _alæ_, in like
manner, have their summits either very oblique, not being added to
above the opercular membrane, or they are only slightly oblique; it
often happens that in those specimens in which the summits of the
radii are nearly parallel to the basis, the alæ are very oblique, and
the converse: in other individuals, both radii and alæ have equally
oblique summits. The sutural edges of the alæ vary in thickness,
being either very thin and obscurely crenated, or moderately
thick and ribbed. The _basis_ is porose; but I have never seen an
underlying cancellated layer of shell, as is so common in several
species.
_Mouth_: labrum, with from four to eight, generally with six, little
teeth: mandibles with three teeth, and two minute lower teeth, or
mere knobs: maxillæ with the edge straight, or with the inferior
part forming a slightly step-formed projection. _Cirri_: the rami
of the first pair are unequal by three or four segments, but in
some specimens by five or six segments, with the front surfaces of
the segments in the shorter ramus extremely protuberant. The second
pair of cirri are short, with the front surfaces of the segments
moderately protuberant: the third pair have a tuft of bristles at
their bases on the thorax. The segments in the sixth pair have from
four to six pairs of spines on the segments; equal-sized specimens
seem to vary in this latter respect. There is a small sharp
projection on the dorsal base of the penis.
_Varieties._
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