Philosophical transactions, Vol. L. Part II. For the year 1758.: Giving some account of the present undertakings, studies, and labours, of the ingenious, in many considerable parts of the world.Various
History
Philosophical transactions, Vol. L. Part II. For the year 1758.: Giving some account of the present undertakings, studies, and labours, of the ingenious, in many considerable parts of the world.
Various
Science -- Periodicals
I shall now give you a short description of the several kinds I have
met with, besides those of your own, and shall divide them into two
kinds; those that have stems, and those that adhere by their shelly
bases.
The first and most remarkable of those that have stems is the Barnacle,
_Fig._ 1. This differs from the Lepas of Linnæus in not having a
testaceous, only a cartilaginous or fleshy covering. On the top of it
are two erect tubular figures like ears: these have a communication
with the internal parts of the animal (_See Fig. 1. b_). These inner
parts agree with the general character already given. The stem, which
is here dissected, was full of a soft spongy yellow substance, which
appeared, when magnified, to consist of regular oval figures, connected
together by many small fibres, and no doubt are the spawn of the animal.
This extraordinary animal (of which there were seven together) was
found sticking to the Whale Barnacle (_See fig._ 1. & 7.), by Mr. Smith
of Stavenger in Norway, who cut both kinds together off a whale’s
lip, that was thrown upon that coast last year, 1757, and immediately
immersed them in spirits of wine; by which means we have been able more
exactly to describe them.
I have called this animal the Naked Fleshy Barnacle with Ears; but it
appears to claim the name of Triton rather than Lepas, according to
Linnæus, as having no shelly habitation.
_Fig._ 2. is the next animal of this class: this is not yet described.
I found several of them sticking to the Warted Norway Sea Fan, which
Dr. Pantoppidan, the Bishop of North Bergen, sent you: from its
appearance, I have called it the Norway Sea Fan Penknife. The stem
of this is covered with little testaceous scales. The upper part of
the animal is inclosed in thirteen distinct shells, six on each side,
besides the hinge-shell at the back, which is common to both sides:
these are connected together by a membrane that lines the whole inside.
One of these is magnified a little at fig. 2. _a_, in order to express
the figure and situation of each shell the better.
_Fig._ 3. is taken from D’Argentville’s _Lithologie, Pl. 30. fig._
H, who says it is found in the British channel sticking to sea
plants; and that these shells consist of five pieces. This, from its
appearance, I have called the British Channel Penknife, to distinguish
it from the other.
_Fig._ 4. is a species of Barnacle called Poussepieds by the French,
and described by Rondeletius as commonly found adhering to rocks on
the coast of Brittany. He says the people there boil and eat the stem,
which is first of a mouse-colour, and afterwards becomes red like our
prawns. There are many heads, that arise out of one stem, each of which
consists of two shells, in which are the same parts of the animal as in
the other species. This I have called the Cornucopia Barnacle. Some of
the shells of this Barnacle were drawn from a specimen in the British
Museum. This Lepas is the Mitella of Linnæus.
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