In the sketch of the three Orders given in the Introduction, it will have been seen that the differences in their structure are so great, that it would have been hardly possible to have given a single blended account of the whole Class. But as all common Cirripedes are included in the present Order, here would have been the natural place for a full description of their external and internal structure. Having, however, been necessarily, yet perhaps unfortunately, led to give, in my former volume, a description of this kind of the Lepadidæ; and as it is necessary to give a similar account of the other great family of the Order, namely, the Balanidæ, I have found it more convenient to make this latter account comparative and supplemental to the former one on the Lepadidæ, and so serve for the Order, rather than attempt to give a separate description in full of it. For this latter plan would have involved much useless repetition, as, on account of the many exceptions and limitations necessary to almost every statement, there is little choice between a description of great length and a mere diagnostic character of the Order, such as I have given above. The Thoracica may be divided into three very natural Families, of nearly equal value; firstly, the Balanidæ, or sessile Cirripedes, which may be subdivided into two sub-families, also very natural, the Balaninæ and Chthamalinæ; secondly, the Verrucidæ, containing only one genus; and thirdly, the Lepadidæ, or pedunculated Cirripedes. These three families differ from each other, besides in mere external appearance, almost exclusively in the relation of the different portions of their external covering or carapace, and of the muscles moving such portions. In the Balanidæ, the four opercular valves surrounding the orifice leading into the sack, are capable of other movements, besides being opened and shut; whereas all the other valves are immoveably united together. In the Lepadidæ, the valves answering to the opercular valves, are furnished with a muscle only for shutting them; whereas the peduncle answering to the basis in the Balanidæ is capable of various movements. In the Verrucidæ the shell is singularly asymmetrical; only half of the operculum (either the right or the left side, this varying even in the same species) being moveable; the other half being immoveably united to the remaining valves; and the whole shell has only one muscle serving to shut the moveable half of the operculum. All the internal parts and organs are very similar in the above three Families. If, however, the internal structure of one of the two sub-families, into which the Balanidæ may be divided, namely, of the Balaninæ, be compared with that of the Lepadidæ, several important differences may be detected;--on the one hand, in the Balaninæ, the presence of branchiæ, the extremely complicated cementing apparatus, the difference in structure between the third and succeeding pairs of