20. BALANUS PŒCILUS. Pl. 5, fig. 3 a, 3 b.
Shell dull red, freckled with white. Scutum internally without an adductor ridge; tergum with the spur, sharply truncated, almost one third of width of valve.
Hab.—West coast of South America, Mus. Cuming; attached to an Avicula.
The appearance of the fragile shell, in the one group of specimens which I have seen, leads me to suspect that they may have grown under unfavorable circumstances. This species differs considerably in general aspect, but not much in essential characters, from B. amphitrite; the absence, however, of an adductor ridge to the scutum, and the sharply truncated spur of the tergum, are sufficient to distinguish them. In the opercular valves this species comes near to B. vinaceus, also from the west coast of South America; but the striated scuta of that species, the cancellated inner lamina of the parietes, the general colouring, and square porose radii, are amply diagnostic characters.
General Appearance.—Shell fragile, tubulo-conical, orifice large, passing from diamond-shaped into oval. Colour fine dark rose, freckled with transverse, sharply pointed, fine zig-zag white lines: the pink is also so arranged as to obscurely give to the walls a longitudinally striped appearance: radii generally rather whiter than the walls, and similarly freckled: terga similarly freckled: scuta dull red, with a white band along the scutal margin. Basal diameter of largest specimen half an inch.
Scutum, externally smooth: internally, articular ridge moderately developed, slightly reflexed: there is no adductor ridge: there is a distinct pit for the lateral depressor muscle. Tergum, with the scutal margin unusually prominent, toothed: longitudinal furrow shallow, the edges apparently having no tendency to fold in: spur short, barely one third of width of valve, with the lower end sharply truncated, parallel to the basal margin: articular ridge and crests for the depressores moderately prominent.
Compartments.—Walls very fragile, with the outer lamina not thicker than the inner lamina. Radii fragile, broad, with their summits moderately oblique; their sutural edges have the septa plainly denticulated on both sides, with the interspaces filled up solidly nearly to the tips of the septa. Alæ, with their summits more oblique than those of the radii; their sutural edges smooth. Basis with an underlying cancellated layer. Mouth: labrum with three unusually large teeth on each side of the notch: mandibles with the fourth tooth tolerably well developed, the fifth being confluent with the inferior angle. Maxillæ simple. Cirri,—first pair with one ramus longer by about four segments than the other ramus, which has considerably protuberant segments: second pair with segments only moderately protuberant: sixth pair with segments much elongated, but bearing only four pairs of spines.