Beunicles.] 



MUSEUM OF- ANIMATED NATURE. 



295 



native of the wanner parts of the ocean, and has 

 been received from the coasts of Senegal. In the 

 Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons is a fine 

 group of these animals attached to a large sessile 

 species (Coronula diadema) which is a parasite of 

 the South Sea whale: a, the animal attached ; b, the 

 small lateral valves; c, the single valve; d, the 

 terminal valves. 



In Cineras there are no auriform tubes, and the 

 form is more angular. Fig. 3077 represents the 

 Cineras vittata (Gymnolepas vittata): a, the ani- 

 mal; t, the lateral valves; c, the single valve; d, 

 the terminal valves. This species is a native of the 

 Indian seas. In the Museum of the Royal College 

 of Surgeons there is an allied species termed Cineras 

 Hunterij of which two small groups are attached to 

 the tail of a sea-snake (Hydrophis bicolor). We 

 turn next to the genus Pentalasmis (Anatafa, La- 

 marck ; Pentalepos, De Blainville). 



In this genus the shell is well developed, and 

 consists of five pieces: the peduncle is'elongated. 



Fig. 3078 is the Common or Duck Bernicle, Pen- 

 talasmis Anatifera (Lepas Anatifera, Linnaeus), 

 which is also represented at Fig. 3066. 



This species is widely spread, being carried at- 

 tached to floating objects from sea to sea. On 

 the coast of Africa it is very abundant. It is this 

 species which was formerly regarded, not only by 

 the ignorant, but even by men of education, as 

 the young of a species of goose, into which it ul- 

 timately became transformed. An account of this 

 absurd error is given in our notice of the Bernicle 

 Goose (Anser Bemicla) in vol. ii. p. 51. It affords 

 one proof, amongst many others, of the general 

 ignorance which formerly prevailed, and which is 

 but now passing away, with respect to the laws 

 of organic life. Nature was then but little studied, 

 nor can we wonder that those who believed in 

 witchcraft, necromancy, and astrology should readily 

 credit the tale of bernicles turning into geese, at- 

 tested as it was by so many authorities. The story 

 would class well in the Metamorphoseon of Ovid, 

 with those of the coral turning to stone, of snakes 

 produced from the spinal chord of human bodies, 

 and of hornets bred from dead horses. 

 The genus PoUicipes next requires our notice. 

 The animal resembles Pentalasmis, but the pedicle 

 is shorter, and rough like shagreen ; the shell is tri- 

 angular, and, besides the principal side valves, is 

 furnished with a number of accessory pieces fixed at 

 their base ; they are marked with transverse striae, 

 and are pointed. Fig. 3079 represents the PoUi- 

 cipes Mitella, a native of the warmer seas. 



AUied to the preceding genus is that termed 

 Scalpellum (Polylepas, De Blainville). In this form 

 the peduncle or pedicle is short and scaly. The 

 shell consists of thirteen pieces, six of which on each 

 side form a sort of composite valve, and between 

 these valves is the dorsal piece. Fig. 3080 repre- 

 sents the Scalpellum vulgare, common in the seas 

 of Europe, attached to fronds, corals, &c.- — a group 

 of four are given thus affixed. Fig. 3081 is a view 

 of the composite valves. 



An allied species is found in the Straits of Magel- 

 haens. The next genus is regarded by Mr. Sowerby 

 as intermediate between the sessile and peduncu- 

 lated cirrhopods ; its shell is regular, subpyramidal, 

 and compressed ; the valvular pieces are eight, 

 with a shelly plate at the base analogous to that of 

 Balanus. The peduncle is tendinous. 



This genus is termed Lithotrya by Mr. Sowerby, 

 a title which M. de Blainville has changed, we know 

 not why, for Litholepas; though he quotes Mr. 

 Sowerby's description, and states that he has never 

 seen the animal. 



The Lithotrya dorsalis (Fig. 3082) is remarkable 

 for living embedded in stones, the valves only ap- 

 pearing externally ; but whether it perforates holes 

 for itself, or occupies those which have been worked 

 out by some raollusk, is not at present determined. 

 It has been found at Montserrat, one of the Antilles. 

 Cuvier in his ' Rcgne Animal ' notices a genus 

 called by him Tefralasmis, in which the valves are 

 four only in number, and the peduncle, which is 

 large, is covered with hairs. The species he describes 

 as Tetralasmis hirsutus. 



I^eaving the Pedunculated Cirrhopods, let us now 

 turn to those which are sessile. 



The Balani, or acorn-shells (Les Glandes de Mer) 

 essentially agree with the Bernicles ; they have, how- 

 ever, no peduncle or footstalk, but are sessile, that 

 is, immediately fixed upon the substances to which 

 they attach themselves, or in whieh they are more 

 or less embedded. 



We ollen see the shells of mussels and oysters 

 covered with balani densely crowded together. If 

 by way of example we examine these balani, we 

 shall find them to be shrouded in a cone of hard 

 calcareous matter, composed of various pieces, ac- 

 curately fitted together, and enlarging with the 

 growth of the animal. A thin calcareous base or 

 closing plate fixes the cone to the substance on 

 which it rests. Its apex presents four pieces so 



arranged as to form an operculum or valvular lid, 

 shutting up the hollow cone when the animal retires, 

 but capable of being opened for the protrusion of 

 the cirrhi. 



From the restricted genus Balanus, several genera 

 are separated by modern naturalists, according to 

 characters represented by the cone, and its opercu- 

 lum. These animals were well known to the 

 ancients, and the larger species were regarded as 

 delicacies. At the present day the Chinese eat the 

 flesh of the Balanis Tintinabulura, which when 

 cooked has, it is said, the flavour and delicacy of a 

 lobster, and the Balanus Psittacus is regarded at 

 Valparaiso as a luxury. 



The genus Pyrgoma, which we may first notice, 

 has the cone formed of a single piece, open at the 

 apex, thick and compressed. The base is closed by 

 a cup-shaped plate ; the operculum is bipartile, each 

 part consisting of two valves, which are variable in 

 form, the posterior one being in some species much 

 elongated. 



The species of this genus are found either adherent 

 to or embedded in corals, and not unfrequently are 

 pvergrown by them, and so buried. 



Fig. 3083 represents the Pyrgoma crenatum ; at a, 

 specimens are seen 'of the natural size in a madre- 

 pore, the astraea favosa ; 6, c, and d, are different 

 views and sections of the cone magnified ; e, the 

 opercular valves magnified. 



In the genus Clitia, the shell consists of four irre- 

 gular pieces, two large, and two smaller, dovetailed 

 together by their dentated edges. The operculum 

 is bivalve, one portion being irregularly quadrate, 

 the other nearly triangular. 



Fig. 3084 represents the Clitia verruca (Lepas 

 striata of Pennant, Lepas verruca of Gmelin), some- 

 what enlarged. It is a native of the European seas, 

 and is found on the British coast. 



We now pass to the genus Creusia ; we find here 

 the cone quadrivalve, the pieces unequal, the base 

 deeply cup-shaped. Like the Pyrgomata, these 

 shells are affixed to, or imbedded in madrepores, and 

 other corals. 



Fig. 3085 represents the Creusa gregaria : a, the 

 shell of the natural size imbedded in madrepore; 

 b, c, d, the cone in different views magnified, latter 

 a section ; e, the opercular valves magnified. 



The genus Conia, to which we turn next, presents 

 us with a pretty species, the Conia porosa (Fig. 

 3086), found in the Mediterranean, the West Indian 

 and other seas. The shell is subconical, composed 

 of four subtriangular valves, with longitudinal striae 

 highly developed. The operculum consists of four 

 pieces. 



We now turn to the genus Tubicinella. In this 

 form the shell is subcylindrical ; the cylinder, which 

 is truncated at both ends, is formed of six pieces, 

 smooth within, but longitudinally striated, and 

 marked by distinct elevated rings externally ; so as 

 to bear some resemblance to the windpipe of a qua- 

 druped. Beneath it is closed by a membrane. The 

 operculum is composed of separate pieces not arti- 

 culated. But one species of this genus is known, 

 the Tubicinella Balaenarum (Fig. 3087). It is para- 

 sitic, infesting the bodies of whales, which are some- 

 times seen studded by it in incredible multitudes, 

 to the great suffering, one would suppose, of the 

 huge monsters of the deep, in whose skin and fat 

 these creatures bury themselves almost to the sum- 

 mit of the aperture of the shell. The rings mark the 

 successive stages of growth in this cirrhopod ; their 

 number therefore is variable. Another parasitic 

 genus is that termed Ooronula (Chenolobia, Leach ; 

 Cetopirus, Ranzani ; Diadema, Schumacher). In 

 Coronula the shell is partially orbicular, and is com- 

 posed of six unequal ribbed pieces, so completely 

 soldered as to present the appearance of one undi- 

 vided shell. The opercular valves would not com- 

 pletely close the aperture without the membrane 

 which unites them. 



The Coronula Balaenaris (Fig. 3088) is found 

 throughout the South Seas, imbedded in the skin and 

 fat of whales, of which animals it must be a great 

 tormentor. We have already alluded to a specimen 

 of Coronula Diadema, in the Museum of the Royal 

 College of Surgeons, to which is attached a group 

 of the Otion Cuvieri (Gymnolepas Cuvieri). For 

 an admirable and most elaborate illustration of the 

 anatomy of the cirrhopod of Coronula, Dr. H. Bur- 

 meisters work ' Zur Naturgeschichte der Ranken- 

 fusser' (Berlin, 1834) may be referred to by those 

 who wish to pursue the subject. 



Ranzani has founded a genus which he terms 

 Chthalamus, and which he describes as having a 

 very depressed shell with six pieces or valves, very 

 thick at their base, and forming very regular rays ; 

 the aperture is tetragonal ; the operculum subpyra- 

 midal. He gives as an example the Chthalamus 

 stellatus (Fig. 3089), a native of the Mediterranean. 

 We may now turn to the restricted genus Balanus. 

 The species assigned to this genus offer considerable 

 varieties of form ; all have the shell composed of 

 six pieces, four of which are comparatively large, 



coalescing at. the sides, and forming altogether by 

 their junction a rude hollow cone, having its aper- 

 tures closed by an operculum of four valves, and at 

 its base a testaceous plate. 



The genus Balanus is widely spread ; groups of 

 different species are found covering rocks, floating 

 wood, shells of various kinds, those even of the pe- 

 dunculated bernicle, the armour-like investment of 

 lobsters and crabs; any objects, in short, which will 

 afford them a sure resting-place. 



As an example of this genus we select the Balanus 

 Psittacus (Lepas Psittacus, Molina) as an example, 

 Fig. 3090. This gigantic species is a native of va- 

 rious parts of the coasts of South America, and is 

 described by Captain Phillip Parker King, R.N., in 

 his account of the mollusks, &c., collected by the 

 officers of H. M.S. Adventure and Beagle, employed 

 between the years 1826 and 1830 in surveying the 

 south coast of America. " This cirrhiped," he says, 

 "which at Concepcion de Chile is. frequently of a 

 larger size than five inches and a half long, and 

 three inches and a half in diameter, forms a very 

 common and highly esteemed food of the natives, 

 by whom it is called Pico, from the acuminated 

 process of the two posterior valves. The anterior 

 and posterior opercular valves when in contact pre- 

 sent some resemblance to a parrot's beak, whence 

 Molina's name (Psittacus). It is also found very 

 abundantly at Valdivia and at Calbuco, near the north 

 of the island of Chiloe. It occurs in large bunches, 

 and presents something of a cactus-like appearance. 

 The parent is covered by its progeny, so that large 

 bunches are found composed of from fifty to a hun- 

 dred individuals, each of which becomes in its turn 

 the foundation of another colony. One specimen, 

 in the possession of my friend W. J. Broderip, Esq., 

 consists of a numerous group based on two large 

 individuals. They were collected by being chopped 

 off with a hatchet. At Concepcion, where they 

 were found of a larger size than to the southward, 

 they are principally procured at the island of 

 Quiriquina, which lies across the entrance of the 

 bay, whence they are exported in large quantities 

 to Valparaiso and Santiago de Chile, where they 

 are considered as a great delicacy, and, indeed, with 

 some justice, for the flesh equals in delicacy and 

 richness that of the crab, which, when boiled and 

 eaten cold, it very much resembles." 



Referring to Fig. 3090, a represents the Balanus 

 Psittacus, about one-fourth of the natural size ; b, 

 the opercular valves of the natural size ; the spiked 

 terminations of the posterior valves are very de- 

 cided. It is from the fissuie between the two an- 

 terior valves, and which is capable of being opened 

 by the action of certain muscles, that the plumose 

 cirrhi emerge, and the spines seem as if intended to 

 protect them. A fine group of the shells of this 

 species, clustered one upon another, forms a most 

 picturesque object. 



From the genus Balanus Dr. Leach separated cer- 

 tain small species which habitually live imbedded 

 in sponges, and placed them in a distinct genus 

 under the title of Acasta. Of this the Acasta Mon- 

 tagui (Fig. 3091) is an example. Two varieties are 

 known ; one quite plain with a flat base, the other 

 furnished with spines, and with a convex base : a 

 represents the spinous variety ; 6, the smooth va- 

 riety. 



The validity of Acasta is not admitted by Mr. 

 Sowerby, who restores the species to the genus 

 Balanus. 



A genus termed Catophragmus by Mr. Sowerby 

 has been founded by that naturalist for the reception 

 of some singular species with a bivalve operculum, 

 and a shell composed of eight unequal pieces, form- 

 ing a subconical tube. A remarkable peculiarity, 

 with respect to the shells of Catophragmus, con- 

 sists, says Mr. Sowerby, "in a number of narrow 

 perpendicular valves, arranged round the shelly 

 cone, and in rows like pales, the first row of which 

 consists of eight pieces, placed so as exactly to cover 

 the sutures of the shelly cone immediately sur- 

 rounding the animal ; around this are then placed 

 several sets of more and more numerous pieces, 

 gradually decreasing in size, so that the outer row, 

 which is the most numerous, consists also of the 

 smallest pieces. Additional rows seem to be pro- 

 duced as the animal increases in age, for a young 

 specimen in our possession has only one row of eight 

 pieces covering the sutures of the first cone, while 

 a much larger and older specimen still retains part 

 of three rows, and has evidently lost some of the 

 external rows. The young individual also shows 

 that the whole of the pieces are pointed at their 

 superior extremities, whereas in the old shells these 

 extremities are so worn or eroded as to become 

 very irregular and obtuse." 



As an example of this genus we give the Cato- 

 phragmus imbricatus, Sowerby, Fig. 3092. It is a 

 native of the seas around the West India Islands : 

 a represents the old shell of this species of the 

 natural size ; b, the same magnified, showing the 

 rows of perpendicular appendages to the shelly 



