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
The supra-œsophageal ganglions (B) present a singular contrast with
the infra-œsophageal ganglion in their little development, size, or
degree of confluence. They lie directly under the basal edge of the
labrum. They are laterally quite distinct, and consist merely of a
slight enlargement of the circa-œsophageal chord. From the anterior
edge of each ganglion, a broad nerve (_f_) extends for some distance in
a straight line, and, on close examination, can be seen to be formed of
two nerves closely united, of which the inner and smaller one, after
a space, appears to cross over the larger nerve: both become at this
point tortuous, and, giving off branches (_m_, _m_), form a plexus. The
two nerves (_f_) then bend inwards, and almost touching each other, run
down, together with the two ovarian simple ducts, along the rostral
compartment of the shell. No doubt, if the smaller branches from these
nerves could be traced, they would be seen to form a network over the
whole sack; and would therefore enclose, as in a cage, the rest of the
nervous system. These nerves correspond, I believe, to the two pair
of antennular nerves of ordinary Crustaceans, and hence I will call
them by this name. Just in front, at the outside corners of the two
supra-œsophageal ganglions (B), a branch (_e′_) arises, which I traced
to the ends of the adductor scutorum muscle, and to those several
muscles which serve to retract the interspace of membrane between the
mouth and the adductor.
The pair of great splanchnic nerves above alluded to, which arise from
the anterior and dorsal surface of the infra-œsophageal ganglion, are
in Pl. 27, fig. 1, _d_ _d_, (and in fig. 2), laid flat; but in nature
they first bow outwards, and then, penetrating deeper into the body,
approach each other, and running nearly parallel, pass round the lower
end of the œsophagus: their course consequently is nearly similar
to that of the circa-œsophageal chord, with this difference, that
the outwardly bowed portion is situated near the infra-œsophageal,
instead of near the supra-œsophageal ganglion. The splanchnic nerve,
a little beyond the supra-œsophageal ganglion, joins a plexus (_d′_);
and into this plexus another large nerve (_e_) which I will call the
supra-splanchnic nerve, sends branches; this nerve takes an almost
semicircular bend over the ovarian glands. The supra-splanchnic nerves
(_e_, _e_), though appearing to spring from the supra-œsophageal
ganglions, do really arise, as may be seen by tracing the constituent
fibres, from the circa-œsophageal chord. The plexus (_d′_) lies close
to the coats of the upper end of the stomach: several branches,
proceeding from it, run further on, but I was able to trace only a few
of them: one went (at least in the case of _Balanus perforatus_), to
the adductor scutorum muscle: another branch spread out on the flanks
of the prosoma: I strongly suspect that one branch goes to the acoustic
sack: it appeared, also, as if some of the small branches entered the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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