66 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 37. 



BALANUS PSITTACUS (Molina). 



Plate 16, figs. 1, 4 ; plate 18, figs. 1-4. 



1782. Lepas psittacus Molina, Saggio sulla storia iiaturale del Chili." 

 1831. Balanm picas Lesson, Voyage autour du Monde de la Ooquille, 



Zoologie, vol. 2, pt. 1, p. 445 (Concepcion, Talcahuano, S. Vincent, 



Chili). 

 1854. Balanus psittacus Darwin, Monograph on the Cirripedia, Balanidie, 



p. 206, pi. 2. figs. 3 a-d (Arica to Chiloe I., Chili). 

 1905. Balanus psittacus Vayssiere, Anuales de la Faculte des Sciences 



de Marseille, vol. 15, Fasc. V, p. 161, pi. 1, figs. 1^ (" Taleahuana," 



Chili). 



Localities.—Paciismayo (W. H. Jones) ; Chincha Islands and Pes- 

 cadores Islands (R. E. Coker) ; Callao (Weltner). 



"VMien typically developed, this barnacle reaches a length of 16 to 

 over 20 cm. It is more or less cylindric, pink or flesh colored, smooth- 

 ish in old or large examples when not worn, but often showing ribs 

 near the ends of the parietes, showing that the yoimg barnacles are 

 ribbed. The orifice is large and hexagonal or quadrangular. The 

 radii are very broad and transversely striated, and in old shells occupy 

 only the upper portion of the cylinder, the rest being formed of the 

 greatly lengthened base. The sheath is short, and the parietes are 

 smooth inside. The pores which permeate the base and wall (parietes 

 and radii) are often exposed by wear (pi. IG, fig. 1, Pacasmayo). 



This large form is what all but the first of the authors cited have 

 described. It is apparently most fully developed on the Chilean 

 coast, where it is fished in about G fathoms of water, and is esteemed 

 a delicious food. Only one example from Peru of this large form has 

 come under my notice, the one figured on pi. 16, fig. 1 (Cat. No. 15474, 

 U.S.N.M.). It is less ponderous than Chilean examples. Darwin 

 recorded it from a single Peruvian locality, Arica ; but this place is 



"The date of original publication of B. psittacus has been in doubt. Darwin's 

 reference is "Molina, Hist. Nat. Chili (1788), vol. 1, p. 223." I have not seen 

 the original edition of Molina's work. Five later editions are in the library 

 of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. The earliest of these is 

 entitled " Versuch I einer I Naturgeschichte I von I Chili. | von j Abbe J. 

 Ignatz Molina. I Aus dem Italianischen iibersetzt, | von I J. D. Rrandis, | 

 Doctor der Arzneywissenschaft. I mit einer Laudcharte. | mit Churfiirstl. Siichsi- 

 cher Freyheit. | Leipzig, I bey Friedrich Gotthold .TacobJier 1786." In the 

 translator's preface it is stated that the manuscript had been ready for publi- 

 cation since 1784 — -four years earlier than Darwin's date. Lcpas psittacus is 

 described on page 179. 



A French translation by M. Gruvel D. M. bears date of 1789. Lcpas psit- 

 tacus is described on pages 179 and 328. An American edition translated " by 

 an American gentleman" appeared at Middletovni, Conn., in 1808, and an 

 English edition, apparently taken from the American, in 1809. The natural 

 history matter seems to be practically identical in all of these editions. The 

 second Italian edition, Bologna, 1810, evidently contains extensive interpola- 

 tions, and the systematic list of animals is omitted; but in the preface the date 

 of the original edition is given as 1782. 



