22 REVIEWS. 



peculiar, 21. Total number of species enumerated, 122, which, with 18 

 excluded, owing to their being attached to floating or swimming objects, 

 or to their habitation being unknown, make 147, which is the total 

 number of known existing Cirripedes. 



Wonderful as is the present history of the barnacle, yet our forefathers 

 believed in fables which, certainly, if true, would have been more astonish- 

 ing than anything we have found in the pages of the two octavo volumes 

 before us. We allude to the once popular (?) belief that the barnacle 

 goose was the offspring of these marine creatures; and notwithstanding 

 that worthy Master Gerard gives a circumstantial account of the whole 

 process, and, moreover, prefaces it with a voucher, that " what our eyes 

 have seen, and hands have touched, we shall declare," and even goes to 

 the trouble of giving us a figure representing the metamorphose going 

 on which should satisfy the most incredulous Mr. Darwin passes 

 the worthy old naturalist by, and takes not the slightest notice of his 

 account; this could not have been forgetfulness ; for one could hardly 

 repeat the name of the first species of the first genus of the Lepadidae, 

 without having the whole story strongly brought before him. 



We have now told our readers of the existence of these two volumes 

 of what they treat about and given them quotations, from which they will 

 perceive that the wonders of this portion of creation are almost un- 

 rivalled ; and it only now remains for us to give our opinion on the work. 



We still recollect the suggestion given by one of our most distinguished 

 British naturalists, some twenty years since, " that those who were really 

 desirous of advancing the progress of zoology, should restrict their chief 

 attention to some given department, and, when practical, to those parti- 

 cular groups which have been least studied ; for that the longest life, 

 added to the enjoyment of the most favourable opportunities, would not 

 suffice for acquiring more than a very limited knowledge of the details of 

 the histoiy of all the existing species of nature." Acting on this advice, 

 Mr. Darwin has applied his talents to the elucidation of the sub-class of 

 the Cirripedia, as contained in these two volumes, which are published by 

 the Ray Society ; and it reflects credit on the Council of the Society that 

 they selected for publication a work in every way so worthy of them. The 

 plates to these volumes are drawn and engraved by George Sowerby with 

 the greatest care, and will be found faithful delineations from nature. Mr. 

 Darwin was awarded the Coply Gold Medal by the Royal Society of England 

 for his researches in the Cirripedia, the result of which is contained in these 

 volumes ; after this high mark of honour, praise on our part would be of 

 little worth ; and yet we cannot help quoting the words addressed by the 



