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
_Fig._ 19.a. This Sea-Fan, with the Barnacles inclosed in it, was
brought from Gibraltar. I have called it the Slipper Barnacle, from its
shape. _See Fig._ 19. These shell-fish adhere, while they are young, to
the slender branches, which are produced by the animals that compose
this species of Sea-fan; and as the next succession of young animals of
this sea-fan creep up its sides, to increase the bulk and extension of
these first-formed ramifications, they inclose the shells all round,
leaving only their mouths or apertures open, for the Barnacles to
procure their food. But it frequently happens, that the animals of the
Sea-fans destroy these Barnacles, by overrunning and involving them in
the very center of their stems. These small Barnacles, interspersed
here and there on the branches, have been taken for fruit or berries
by some gentlemen, who look upon the internal or horny part of the
Sea-fans to be vegetables.
_Fig._ 20. is a very curious Barnacle, taken from an elegant specimen
in the British Museum; which, from its figure, I have called the
Persian Crown.
I shall now add some further observations on the nature of these
animals.
Upon opening the shells of many of the common English Barnacles (_Fig._
1.) while they were alive, I found the lower part of the shell, which
contained a cavity equal to two thirds of the whole, full of spawn;
so that the Barnacles, which adhere by the base of their shells, as
well as those that are supported by fleshy tubes, are propagated by
eggs, which they send forth in inconceivable numbers; as appears by the
clusters of young shells, which we find adhering not only to the parent
animals, but to all hard substances near them.
The bottom shell of these animals, as well as their upper shells, vary
in form according to their situation, which occasions some difficulty
in determining their several species with exactness. The form of the
base shell of our common English Barnacle, is the flat radiated figure
represented adhering to a scallop shell in the front of a group of them
at _Fig._ 17. The Barnacles at _Fig._ 8. 9. 14. 15. and 20. have the
same kind of base.
I have very lately observed a singular kind of flat Balanus, on a white
Mandrepora coral from the coast of Italy, in the possession of Mr.
Mendez D’Acosta, F.R.S. whose base appears sunk into the coral, and of
the form of an inverted cone, bending a little to one side. The inward
surface of this conical base shell appears curiously striated with
tubular radii, which terminate on the surface of the coral, to receive
the extremities of the six valves, that compose the upper shell. This
peculiar form of the base seems owing to the animals of the coral and
of the Barnacle growing up together, the latter keeping possession of
its proper space, while the former grew close about it.
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