174 Dr. G. Lawson on Lepas anatifera. 



and Scotland. There is certainly a belief among mariners that 

 it occurs on the shores of the north of Scotland. 



Now that attention is being devoted to the phenomena of 

 ocean currents, to an extent commensurate in some measure 

 with the scientific interest and importance of the subject, it is 

 desirable that observers on different parts of our coasts, as well 

 as the captains of ships, should record any facts of interest rela- 

 tive to drift-timber, seeds, and other land productions from a 

 distance, as well as floating Cirripedia, &c, which may be thrown 

 ashore or picked up, — the careful observation of all which, in 

 connexion with concurrent meteorological conditions, is likely 

 to afford useful facts for interpreting many phenomena that are 

 as yet very imperfectly understood. 



I could not ascertain any circumstances that served to indi- 

 cate the original source of the fir log above referred to. Judging 

 from the perfectly fresh appearance of the timber, even close to 

 the surface, and the strong resinous odour which that 'part exhi- 

 bited when scraped with a knife, I conclude that the log could 

 not have been long exposed to the action of the sea-water. In 

 fact, the log presented on the surface a cleaner and fresher 

 appearance than the ordinary new timber which we see floated 

 down our rivers. In some parts, however, there were burrows 

 of apparently a small mollusk, of which I could not obtain 

 specimens. 



The above circumstances are easily explained if we keep in 

 view the fact, that the Pedunculate Cirripedia develope them- 

 selves very rapidly. 



Mr. Darwin observes that " all Cirripedia grow rapidly : the 

 yawl of H.M.S. 'Beagle' was lowered into the water, at the 

 Galapagos archipelago, on the 15th September, and, after an 

 interval of exactly thirty-three days, was hauled in. I found on 

 her bottom a specimen of Conchoderma virgata, with the capitu- 

 lum and peduncle each half an inch in length, and the former 

 /oths in width. This is half the size of the largest specimen I 

 have seen of this species : several other individuals, not half the 

 size of the above, contained numerous ova in their lamellae, 

 ready to burst forth*." 



The floating habits of many of the Pedunculated Cirripedes 

 necessarily prevent any very definite limits being placed to the 

 geographical range of species. " The Pedunculated Cirripedes 

 extend over the whole world, and most of the individual species 

 have large ranges, more especially, as might have been expected, 



those attached to floating objects Of all the Lepadidce, 



nearly half are attached to floating objects, or to animals which 

 are able to change their positions." Of those attached to fixed 



* Darwin, Cirripedia, vol. i. p. 63. 



