THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY 



[SECOND SERIES.] 

 No. 23. NOVEMBER 1849. 



XXXI. — Notice of the occurrence on the British coast of a 

 Burrowing Barnacle belonging to a new Order of the Class 

 Cirripedia. By Albany Hancock, Esq.* 



[With two Plates.] 



I have recently procured a very curious little animal belonging 

 to the class Cirripedia, interesting not only on account of its 

 modification of form, but also from its habit of burying itself in 

 the substance of dead shells. The first individuals obtained 

 were concealed in a broken specimen of Fusus antiquus procured 

 by the Rev. G. C. Abbes from the fishing boats at Whitburn in 

 the county of Durham, and fortunately preserved on account of 

 the fine specimens of Cliona gorgonioides which it contained. 

 Since then I have got this Cirripede alive from the boats at Cul- 

 lercoats, also in Fusus antiquus : it has likewise occurred in Buc- 

 cinum undatum from the same locality. And on breaking an old 

 specimen of the former, which has been many years in my col- 

 lection, it was found to have been extensively attacked by this 

 novel parasite. Indeed almost every dead specimen of the large 

 Fusus brought in by the fishermen from deep water is more or 

 less affected by it ; and the only wonder is that it should have 

 remained so long undetected. This perhaps may be explained 

 by the fact that this animal only attacks dead shells, and always, 

 as far as I have yet observed, from the inside, so that it is 

 scarcely to be seen until the shell is broken. The columella is 

 the chief seat of the ravages of this creature, though the sides of 

 the whorls do not by any means escape, especially if the indi- 

 viduals are numerous. When quite young they enter the sound 

 shell, and as they grow enlarge their residence, which is always 

 of the exact size and form of the tenant. 



It is interesting to remark how completely this animal, toge- 



* Read at the Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of 

 Science held at Birmingham, Sept. 12, 1849. 



Ann. §■ Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol. iv. 21 



