General Appearance.—Capitulum highly variable in all its characters; thick and broad in proportion to its length, but the breadth is variable,—in some specimens, the capitulum being longer by one-fifth of its total length than broad; in others, one-fifth broader than long. Valves generally approximate; in some varieties, however, from the narrowness of the carina and terga, the valves stand far apart, there being an interval between the carina and scuta of nearly half the breadth of the latter. Valves excessively thin, brittle, transparent, colourless, smooth, but generally sinuous along the zones of growth, which are conspicuous: valves generally covered throughout by thin chitine membrane, which is thickly clothed, especially in the interspaces between the valves, with minute spines, barely visible to the naked eye. Scuta with the lower part of the tergo-carinal margin extremely protuberant; occludent margin, more or less, but slightly reflexed, with a depressed line running from the umbo to the apex; basal margin much reflexed, but to a variable extent and at a varying angle, even up to a right angle,—an external rim or collar being thus formed. There are no distinct internal teeth, but the basal margin under the umbones, is more or less distinctly produced into a rounded disc or projection, which is generally not so much outwardly reflexed as the rest of the basal margin: there is no distinct internal basal rim. The primordial valves are generally visible, but they do not lie, as in all other species, close to the basal margin, but a little above it,—the lower reflexed portion having been subsequently developed. Terga flat, with the occludent margin slightly arched, and not, as in the foregoing species, formed of two sides; apex bent towards the carina; width of the lower half highly variable, owing to the varying extent to which the scutal margin is hollowed out; in some specimens, the whole lower half beneath the apex of the scuta is of nearly the same width throughout; in other specimens this lower part is spear-shaped. The widest part of the tergum either equals in width, or is only two-thirds of the width of the widest part of the carina beneath its umbo. Carina (Pl. I, fig. 6 a) highly variable in shape, with the part above the umbo either spear-shaped and slightly concave within, or nearly flat and furnished with a central external ridge; or the upper part (fig. 6 c) is of equal and extreme narrowness throughout, and deeply concave within, appearing as if only the central ridge had been developed. The part below the umbo, (answering to the fork in the foregoing species,) is about one-third of the length of the whole valve, and generally twice as wide as the upper part, but in the variety with the upper part of the carina equally narrow throughout, the lower part is thrice as wide as the upper; the disc, or lower part, is generally slightly concave within, exteriorly either with or without a central ridge; basal margin rounded; lateral margin more or less curved, according to the form of the upper part. The disc is not more deeply imbedded in membrane than is the upper part of the valve. The heel or umbo is either angular and prominent, or rounded. In very young specimens the carina is simply bowed, instead of being rectangularly bent.

Peduncle,—short, narrow, being abruptly inflected all round under the basal edges of the capitulum; lower part of very variable shape, being often suddenly contracted into a mere thread (fig. 6 b), which sometimes widens again at the extreme end. The external membrane is very thin, and is penetrated by the usual fine tubuli leading to the corium; its surface is wrinkled and destitute of spines, or with extremely few. The peduncle is often completely surrounded by a yellowish ball, (of which I have seen specimens from the coast of England, and from off Borneo,) sometimes half as wide as the capitulum, composed of very tender, vesicular, structureless membrane, and of a pulpy substance: perhaps the yellow colour may be owing to long immersion in spirits. Some authors have supposed that the ball was the ovisac of the animal; and for the first few minutes, deceived by the numerous included spores of, as I believe, Bacillariæ, I thought that this was the case; others have supposed that it consisted of some encrusting algæ or other foreign organism; but it is, in reality, a most singular development of the cement-tissue, which ordinarily serves to attach Cirripedes by their bases to some extraneous object, but here surrounding that object and the peduncle, gives buoyancy, by its vesicular structure, to the whole. The membrane of the ball falls to pieces in caustic potash, differently from the chitine membrane of the enclosed peduncle, and this shows that there is some difference in composition from ordinary cement. The ball, when cut in two, exhibits an obscure concentric structure. The whole is excreted by the two cement-ducts, through two rows of orifices, one on each side of the surrounded portion of the peduncle; and I actually traced, in one case, the yellow pulpy substance coming out of the cement-ducts. The upper apertures are in gradation larger than those below them, and they stand a little further apart from each other; these are figured as seen from the outside, much magnified, at Pl. I, fig. 6 d. I did not succeed in finding the cement-glands, but I followed the ducts, of rather large size, running for a considerable distance as usual along and within the longitudinal muscles of the peduncle. Nearly opposite the uppermost aperture, on each side, the duct passes out through the corium, and becomes laterally attached to the outer membrane of the peduncle, at which point an aperture is formed (as in other cases, by some unknown process), thus giving exit to the contents of the duct. Beneath this upper aperture the duct runs down the peduncle, between the corium and the outer membrane, till it comes to the next aperture, to which it is also attached, and so on to all the lower ones; but I believe no cement tissue continues to pass out through these lower apertures. Beneath the lowest aperture the two ducts run into the two prehensile antennæ of the larva, which, as usual, terminate the peduncle. The antennæ are attached to some small foreign body in the centre of the vesicular ball, by the usual tough, light brown, transparent cement. The two upper apertures are nearly on a level with the outside surface of the ball; and it was evident that as the animal grows, new apertures are formed higher and higher up on the sides of the peduncle, and that out of these, fresh vesicular membrane proceeds, and grows over the old ball in a continuous layer. It appears that the growth of the vesicular ball is not regular,—that it is not always formed,—and that when formed the whole, or the lower part, sometimes disintegrates and is washed away. As that portion of the peduncle which is enclosed ceases to grow, and has its muscles absorbed, retaining only the underlying corium, whereas the upper unenclosed portion, and likewise, (as it appears) lower portions once enclosed but since denuded, continue to increase in diameter, the peduncle, when the vesicular ball is removed, often has the most irregular outline, contracting suddenly into a mere thread, and then occasionally expanding again at the basal point.

Frequently two or three specimens have their peduncles imbedded in one common ball, of which there is a fine specimen in the College of Surgeons (Pl. I, fig. 6), the ball being about one inch and a quarter in diameter, with a slice cut off. In this specimen, it is seen that the vesicular membrane proceeding from several individuals, unites to form one more or less symmetrical whole, and that the original common object of attachment is entirely hidden. Dr. Coates[29] gives a curious account of the infinite number of specimens, through which he sailed during several days, in the Southern Atlantic Ocean: the balls appeared like bird’s eggs, and were mistaken for some fucus, which was supposed to have encrusted the scales of the Velellæ, to which the Cirripede had originally become attached. Several individuals had their peduncles imbedded in the same ball, “which floated like a cork on the water.” As this species grows into an unusually bulky animal, we here see a beautiful and unique contrivance, in the cement forming a vesicular membranous mass, serving as a buoy to float the individuals, which, when young and light, were supported on the small objects to which they originally had been cemented in the usual manner.

Filamentary Appendages.—Five on each side, of which four lie in pairs at the base of the first cirrus (of these, only three are sometimes developed), and one on the flank of the prosoma.

Mouth.—Palpi much acuminated. Mandibles with five teeth; the first not far remote from the second; inferior point rather broad and finely pectinated. Maxillæ with two large, unequal, upper spines, and four regular steps.

Cirri.—Posterior cirri, with the upper parts of the segments slightly protuberant; in young specimens, the spines can be seen to consist of five pairs, placed in two converging lines in the upper half of each segment, with numerous minute, latero-marginal, and intermediate little bristles: in large specimens, all these latter have so increased in number, that the normal five pair cannot be distinguished, and the front of each segment is covered by a triangular thick brush of bristles, all pointing in the same direction, thus giving a very unusual character to the posterior cirri: the dorsal tuft on each segment consists of six or seven large spines, with from one to three dozen fine ones. First cirrus and anterior ramus of second cirrus with broad brushes of bristles. The pedicels of all the cirri are thickly covered with bristles. Caudal appendages smooth, with rounded summits.

Penis very hairy: vesiculæ seminales purple, much convoluted, lying within the prosoma; testes dendritic, scarcely enlarged at their terminal points, purplish; ovigerous fræna large with sinuous margins, the glandular beads being arranged in groups.

Size.—The largest specimen (from the coast of Devonshire) had a capitulum 1.6 of an inch long, and 1.2 broad, and of unusual thickness.

Colours, after having been in spirits: front surfaces of the segments of the cirri and of the pedicels purple. In some specimens from off Borneo, parts of the sack and the interspaces between the two scuta, were of a fine purple. Montagu states, that the whole shell and body of animal, when fresh, are pale blue, with the cirri spotted with brown.

General Remarks.—The extreme variability of this species is remarkable. In the College of Surgeons, there is a group of specimens collected by Mr. Bennett, I believe, in the Atlantic, in which the extreme narrowness of the carina and of the terga (Pl. I, fig. 6, b, c) (with consequent wide spaces of membrane left between these valves), led me, at first, to entertain no doubt, that it was quite a distinct species, which was strengthened by finding that the whole surface of the cirri were villose, with very minute spines; hence I called this variety, villosa. On the closest examination, however, I could detect no other differences, and the narrowness of the carina and terga varied very considerably: moreover, in one of the specimens, which was about intermediate in the form of its valves between this variety and the common form, the surfaces of the cirri were not in the least degree villose. Again, in some other specimens, the terga were as narrow as in Mr. Bennett’s, whilst the carina had its usual outline.

In a var. (called by Leach, P. Donovani,) from the Atlantic, under the Equator, the carina is remarkable from the extreme flatness of the upper part, and from the presence of an exterior, narrow, central ridge. In one specimen from Jersey, in the British Museum, the carina made an extremely near approach to this same form.

Affinities.—This species is certainly much the most distinct of any in the genus, and Mr. Gray has proposed to separate it under the name of Dosima; but considering the close similarity of the whole organisation of the internal parts, together with the transitional characters afforded by L. australis, I think the grounds for this separation are not quite sufficient. I have remarked, under L. australis, on the affinity between that and the present species. In the carina terminating in a disc (though here not imbedded), there is some slight affinity to Pæcilasma eburnea and crassa, and markedly so in the arrangement of the bristles on the posterior cirri. In the valves being covered with villose membrane, and to a certain extent in the form of the carina and of the occludent margin of the terga, and especially in the two rows of cement-orifices in the peduncle, there is some affinity to Scalpellum.

Pæcilasma. Nov. Genus.[30] Plate II.

Valvæ, 3, 5, aut 7, approximatæ: carina solùm ad basales apices tergorum extensa, termino basali aut truncato aut in discum profunde infossum producto: scuta pænè ovalia, umbonibus ad angulum rostralem positis.

Valves, 3, 5, or 7, approximate: carina extending only to the basal points of the terga; with its lower end either truncated or produced into a deeply imbedded disc. Scuta nearly oval, with their umbones at the rostral angle.

Mandibles with four teeth; maxillæ notched, with the lower part of edge prominent; anterior ramus of the second cirrus not thicker than the posterior ramus; caudal appendages uniarticulate, spinose.

I have already given my reasons for instituting and separating this genus from Lepas; as far as the capitulum is concerned, the differences between these genera certainly appear trivial; they consist in the carina not extending up between the terga, and in the lower end being either truncated, or produced into an imbedded disc: the terga have a single occludent margin. The included animal’s body differs in more important respects; for both mandibles and maxillæ are very distinct; the cirri of some of the species also differ; and the caudal appendages are here always spinose: there are no filamentary appendages: and lastly, the habits are different.

The genus may be divided into two sections, firstly, P. Kæmpferi and P. aurantia, which have their carinæ basally truncated, the basal angles of their terga cut off, and the anterior rami of their second cirri shorter than the posterior rami; and, secondly, P. crassa, P. fissa, and P. eburnea, which in these several respects are otherwise characterised. The P. eburnea, however, differs rather more from P. crassa and P. fissa, than these two do from each other; but certainly not enough to allow of the retention of Mr. Hinds’ genus of Trilasmis. P. crassa, in an especial degree, connects together all the forms.

General Appearance.—Capitulum oval, more or less produced, flat or gibbous; formed of three, five, or seven approximate valves; the lesser number arising from the abortion of the terga, and the greater number from the scuta being divided into two segments. Valves moderately thick, either white or reddish, smooth or striated, and sometimes partly covered by membrane, bearing minute spines. Scuta oval, of varying proportions; the basal margin is generally narrow, and blends into the carina-tergal margin; the internal basal rim generally is well developed, sometimes with, and sometimes without internal teeth beneath the umbones. In P. eburnea, and sometimes in P. crassa, there is a line of apparent fissure, and in P. fissa of actual disseverment, running from the umbo to the apex of each scutum, nearly in the line in which a ridge extends in Lepas: the primordial valves of the scuta in these three species, are seated at the basal angles of the lateral and larger segments. The positions of the primordial valves, and the direction of growth in the calcified valves, are, in all the species, the same as in Lepas. In several of the species attached to Crustacea, the two scuta are unequally convex, which is caused, as was pointed out to me by Mr. Gray, by that valve which lies close and nearly parallel to the body of the crab, being least developed. The Terga are either quite absent, or rudimentary as in P. crassa, or pretty well developed as in the other species: the occludent margin is single, and not double as generally in Lepas; the basal angle is either pointed or truncated. The Carina varies considerably in shape, but never extends up between the terga, nor ends downwards in a fork; in the first two species it is truncated; in the others, it terminates in a deeply-imbedded oblong disc, which in P. eburnea seems almost entirely (but of course not quite) to separate the inside of the capitulum from the peduncle; a similar separation is effected in P. fissa, where the imbedded disc is small, by two large teeth on the internal basal rims of the two scuta. The carina is always narrow, and either solid internally or very slightly concave.

Peduncle, is very short and narrow; the membrane is generally ringed with thicker, yellower portions, and often bears very minute spines.

Size.—All the species are small, with a capitulum not exceeding half an inch in length.

Filamentary Appendages.—None.

Mouth.—Labrum generally considerably bullate in the upper part, with a row of teeth on the crest. The mandibles have four teeth, with the inferior point narrow and spine-like, or rudimentary and absent. The maxillæ have, under the two or three upper great spines, a deep notch itself bearing spines; beneath this, the lower part is straight and considerably prominent, Pl. X, fig. 15. Outer maxillæ are covered on their inner sides continuously with spines.

Cirri.—The first pair is sometimes seated very distant from the second. The arrangement of the spines on the posterior cirri varies, to an unusual degree within the limits of the same genus. We have either the ordinary structure of anterior pairs, with single fine intermediate spines (as in P. Kæmpferi and aurantia), or we have the pairs increased by one or two additional longitudinal lateral rows, as in P. eburnea; or we have the front spines forming a single transverse row, as in P. crassa and P. fissa, Pl. X, fig. 29, a. The segments in none of the species are protuberant; the anterior ramus of the second cirrus does not seem to be thicker than the posterior ramus, as is usually the case. The rami of the second, and of most of the other cirri, are unequal in length,—the anterior ramus, contrary to the ordinary rule, being longer in P. eburnea, P. fissa, and P. crassa, than the posterior ramus by several segments; I have hitherto observed this inequality only in the sessile genus Chthamalus.

The Caudal Appendages are small, uniarticulate, and always furnished with bristles.

1. Pæcilasma Kæmpferi. Pl. II, Fig. 1.

P. valvis 5; carinæ basi truncatâ et cristatâ: scutorum dentibus internis umbonalibus fortibus: tergorum acumine basali truncato, margini occludenti pæne parallelo.

Valves 5; carina with a truncated and crested base; scuta with strong internal umbonal teeth; terga with the basal point truncated, almost parallel to the occludent margin.

Maxillæ with short thick spines in the notch under the two upper great spines; caudal appendages with scattered bristles on their summits, and along their whole outer margins.

General Appearance.—Capitulum rather compressed, narrow, and produced. Valves white, tinged with orange, smooth, moderately thin, occasionally with faint traces of striæ radiating from the umbones. Scuta, apex pointed, with a very slight ridge running to the umbo; basal margin equalling two thirds of the length of the terga, with an internal basal rim; on the under side of each valve, beneath the umbo, there is a strong tooth. Out of the numerous specimens, all excepting one had their scuta unequally convex, with their occludent margins unequally curved, that of the more convex valve at the umbo, curling beyond the medial line. The basal end of the carina is, likewise, slightly curved laterally, and always turns towards the more convex valve. This inequality, as Mr. Gray pointed out to me, depends on the position of the specimens; the flatter side lying close to the carapace of the crab. Terga, flat, oblong, nearly rectangular; occludent margin straight; basal angle, truncated, almost parallel to the occludent margin; in width, three or four times as wide as the carina. Carina, (fig. 1, a) short, narrow, slightly curved, upper part broadest, with the apex rounded, only just passing up between the basal broad ends of the terga; externally carinated, internally very slightly concave; basal end abruptly truncated, crested, not deeply imbedded in the membrane of the peduncle.

Peduncle, barely as long as the capitulum, apparently (for specimens dry and much shrunk) narrow, surrounded by rings or folds of thicker yellowish membrane, of which the upper ones retain moderately long spines; low down these rings become confluent; whole surface finely dotted, dots largest on the rings.

Mouth.—Labrum highly bullate in the upper part, with a row of teeth on the crest; mandibles with four teeth, the fourth close to the inferior apex, which is very little developed, sometimes making the fourth tooth appear simply bifid. Maxillæ with two large spines on the upper angle, beneath which there is a large depression, bearing one rather long and thick, and four short and thick, spines; inferior upraised part with a double row of longer and thinner spines.

Cirri.—Posterior cirri with segments bearing five pairs of spines, of which the lowest pair is very minute; intermediate spines minute; spines of the dorsal tuft thin, of nearly equal size; segments not at all protuberant, elongated. First cirrus, standing far separated from the second (as in Scalpellum), with its nearly equal rami rather above half as long as those of the second cirrus. Second cirrus with anterior ramus not thicker, and scarcely more thickly clothed with spines, than the posterior ramus, but shorter than it by three or four segments; the spines not forming a very thick brush on the anterior ramus. Both rami of third cirrus with a longitudinal row of minute spines, parallel to the main pairs. Between the bases of the pedicels of the first pair of cirri, there are two closely approximate, conical flattened protuberances, like the single one to be described in Ibla.

Caudal Appendages, about one third of the length of the pedicel of the sixth cirrus, with some moderately long and strong spines at the end, and down the whole outer sides.

Ova, much pointed. Penis, hairy.

Size.—Capitulum in largest specimens half an inch long.

2. Pæcilasma aurantia. Pl. II, Fig. 2.

P. valvis 5; carinæ basi truncatâ: scutis ovatis, margine basali perbrevi, dentibus parvis, internis, umbonalibus instructo: tergorum acumine basali perobliquè truncato.

Valves 5; carina with a truncated base; scuta oval, with the basal margin very short, furnished with small internal umbonal teeth; terga, with the basal point very obliquely truncated.

Maxillæ with fine spines in the notch under the three great upper spines; caudal appendages with scattered bristles on their summits, and along only the upper part of their outer margins.

General Appearance.—This species so closely resembles P. Kæmpferi, that it is superfluous to describe it in detail; and I will indicate only the points of difference. When the valves have been well preserved, they are of fine pale orange colour, and hence the name above given, which was proposed by the Rev. R. T. Lowe.

Scuta, with the internal umbonal teeth small; basal internal marginal rim very prominent, furrowed within; basal margin short, (only equalling half the length of terga), owing to the great curvature of the lower part of the carino-tergal margin; hence, the outline of the scuta is almost pointed oval. I saw no appearance of inequality in the two sides.

Terga, rather smaller in proportion to the scuta, than in P. Kæmpferi, with the basal end very obliquely truncated, so as to appear at first simply pointed, not parallel to the occludent margin; apex considerably more pointed and produced than in the foregoing species.

Carina, almost of equal narrowness throughout, barely concave within; lower end triangular, abruptly truncated, and not crested.

Primordial valves very plain, with the usual hexagonal structure: those of the terga, rounded at both ends, instead of being square, as in the mature calcified valves.

Peduncle short, narrow, not half as long as the capitulum; paved with minute equal beads, as in the genus Dichelaspis.

Mouth.—Mandibles with the fourth tooth very small; inferior angle rudimentary. Maxillæ, with three great upper spines, beneath which there is a deep notch bearing some delicate spines; inferior upraised part, as in P. Kæmpferi.

Cirri.—Rami of first cirrus hardly more than one third as long as the rami of the second cirrus, which latter rami are unequal in length by only two segments; the posterior ramus being the longer one.

Caudal Appendages, with only two or three lateral bristles, besides those on the summit.

Size.—Capitulum, three to four tenths of an inch long.

General Remarks.—This species has the closest general resemblance to P. Kæmpferi, and is evidently a representative of it. On close examination, however, almost every part differs slightly; the chief points being the narrowness of the basal margin of the scuta; the obliqueness of the truncated basal end of the terga and the sharpness of the upper end; the rudimentary state of the inferior angle of the mandibles; the character of the spines on the maxillæ; the proportional lengths of the cirri, and the fewness of the spines on the outer sides of the caudal appendages. The fact of Madeira having this Pæcilasma, a representative both in structure and habits of a Japan species, is interesting, inasmuch, as I am informed by Mr. Lowe, that some of the Madeira fishes are analogues of those of Japan.

3. Pæcilasma crassa. Pl. II, Fig. 3.

P. valvis 5; carinæ termino basali in discum parvum infossum producto: scutis convexis, dentibus internis umbonalibus nullis: tergis pæne rudimentalibus, vix carinâ latioribus.

Valves 5; carina with the basal end produced into a small imbedded disc; scuta convex, without internal umbonal teeth; terga almost rudimentary, scarcely broader than the carina.

Spines on the segments of the posterior cirri arranged in single transverse rows.

General Appearance.—Capitulum highly bullate, or thick. Valves rather thick, opaque, either pale or dark flesh-red, smooth, yet rather plainly striated from the umbones. There are a few very minute spines on the membranous borders of the valves.

Scuta highly convex, broadly oval, apex broad rounded; basal margin narrow, much curved; no internal, umbonal teeth; basal internal rim strong, running up part of the occludent margin. A slightly prominent ridge, either rounded or angular, but in one specimen a narrow depressed fissure-like line, runs parallel to the occludent margin and ends near the apex in a slight notch; this fact is of interest in relation to the structure of the scuta in P. eburnea and P. fissa. The scuta are either equally or very unequally convex; in the latter case, the occludent margin of one valve is curled, so that its umbo is not quite medial.

Terga, minute, almost rudimentary, scarcely broader than the carina, and half as long as the chord of its arc; carinal margin slightly curved; scutal margin straight, with a slight prominence fitting into a notch in the scuta; basal end bluntly pointed.

Carina, (fig. 3, a) rather shorter than the scuta, extending up only to the basal ends of the terga; moderately curved; apex moderately sharp; middle part broadest, externally carinated; internally not concave, with the inner lamina of shell, at the basal end, produced into a very small oblong disc or tooth, which is only as wide as the narrowest upper part of the valve. The exterior keel does not extend on to this disc, which is slightly constricted at its origin.

Peduncle very short, narrow, ringed, and apparently without spines.

Size.—Capitulum four tenths of an inch long.

The following parts of the animal are described from some small and not well preserved specimens from Madeira, which I owe to the kindness of Mr. Lowe.

Mouth.—Labrum highly bullate in the upper part, with large, inwardly pointed, unequal teeth. Mandibles, with four large, pointed, equal-sized teeth, with the inferior angle very narrow, acuminated like a single spine. Maxillæ, with three (?) large upper spines, of which the middle one is extremely strong and long, beneath which, there is a deep notch with a single strong spine, and with the whole inferior part square and much upraised, so as to stand on a level almost with the tips of the great upper spines.

Cirri in a miserable state of preservation; first cirrus short, second cirrus with rami unequal, and I suspect the anterior one the longest; some of the other cirri also have unequal rami. The segments of the posterior cirri are not protuberant, they have on their anterior faces a single transverse row of bristles: in the upper segments, some of the spines in each dorsal tuft (which is much spread out), are much thicker, though rather shorter than those on the anterior face. This peculiar structure is common to all five posterior cirri.

Caudal Appendages.—I can only say that they are spinose on their summits.

Affinities.—This species is allied to P. eburnea in the rudimentary condition of its terga; in the disc-shaped basal end of its carina; and in the presence in some specimens, of a fissure-like line on the scuta parallel to their occludent margins. Its affinity, however, is closer to P. fissa, as is more especially shown by the remarkable arrangement of the spines on the five posterior cirri.

4. Pæcilasma fissa. Pl. II, Fig. 4.

P. valvis 7; scuto utroque è duobus juxtapositis segmentis formato; segmento altero intus dentato: tergis brevibus, ter aut quater carinâ latioribus: carinæ termino basali in discum parvum angustum infossum producto.

Valves 7; each scutum being formed of two closely approximate segments; of which one is internally toothed: terga short, three or four times as wide as the carina: carina with the basal end produced into a small, narrow, imbedded disc.

Spines on the segments of the posterior cirri arranged in single transverse rows.

General Appearance.—Capitulum gibbous, broadly oval, nearly a quarter of an inch long. Valves white, smooth, moderately thick, marked by the lines of growth. The occludent segments of the scuta, and nearly the whole of the terga, and the whole of the carina, enveloped in lemon-yellow membrane, tinged with orange, but the specimen had long been kept dry.

Scuta formed of two, apparently always separate, segments, closely united, so that externally their separation is hardly visible, and does not allow of movement; the fissure thus formed runs almost in the line connecting the umbo and apex, (where in most species a ridge extends,) but a little on the carinal side of it. The occludent segment is narrowly bow-shaped, pointed at both ends, with the upper end projecting slightly beyond the apex of the lateral segment, and with the occludent margin regularly curved from end to end. The lateral segment is large, of an oval shape, with a narrow strip cut off on one side. Primordial valves very plain at the umbones of the lateral segments, but none are visible on the occludent segments; and this makes me believe that these two pieces are normally parts of a single valve; having only one specimen of P. fissa, I was not able to make out quite certainly whether the two segments are continuously united at their umbones by a non-calcified portion of valve, as is certainly the case with Dichelaspis. The basal margin of the lateral segment is narrow, inflected, and blends with the carino-tergal margin; it has an internal, prominent, basal rim, and towards the occludent margin a large, prominent, internal tooth. This internal basal rim is not parallel to the outer basal margin, but rises to a point a little way up the occludent margin, in the same manner as in P. eburnea, but in a lesser degree; in this latter species the peduncle is internally almost cut off by the large disc of its carina; here, on the other hand, it is internally almost cut off by these rims and the two large teeth of the lateral segments of the scuta.

Terga sub-triangular, short, nearly half as broad as long; three or four times as wide as the carina, and rather wider than the occludent segment of the scuta; occludent margin single, arched; carinal margin slightly arched; basal angle bluntly pointed.

Carina very narrow, much arched, running up just between the basal ends of the terga; exterior ridge enveloped in membrane; heel blunt, prominent; internally, not concave, even slightly convex, produced at the lower end into a very narrow, short, imbedded disc, (or rather tooth,) which is itself a little curved downwards and blunt at the end.

Peduncle very narrow, about half as long as the capitulum; yellow, finely beaded, plainly ringed, without spines.

Mouth.—Labrum, with a row of minute teeth; palpi narrow. Mandibles with all the lower part narrow; of the four teeth, the second and third are narrow, the fourth is pectinated and placed very close to the inferior angle, which is produced into a long thin tooth. Maxillæ unknown.

Cirri.—First pair lost. The arrangement of the spines on all is most abnormal, Pl. X, fig. 29: dorsal tuft long, arranged in a transverse line and seated in a deep notch; in the sixth cirrus, the spines on the lower segments are fine, those on the upper segments are thick and claw-like, mingled with some fine spines; in the four anterior cirri the spines of the dorsal tufts are even thicker and more claw-like. On the anterior faces, also, of all the segments the spines form a single row; they are shorter than those composing the dorsal tuft; hence the spines on each segment are arranged in a circle, interrupted widely on the two sides: this arrangement is common to all five posterior cirri. Second cirrus, with the anterior ramus one third longer and thinner than the posterior ramus (this is the reverse of the usual arrangement); this longer ramus equals in length the sixth cirrus. Third cirrus, with the anterior ramus considerably longer than the posterior ramus; in the three posterior pair of cirri, also, the anterior rami are a little longer than the posterior: except in length, there is little difference of any kind between the five posterior pair of cirri. Pedicels of the cirri long; rami rather short; segments elongated, not protuberant.

Caudal Appendages nearly as long as the pedicels of the sixth cirrus, thickly clothed with very fine bristles, like a camel’s-hair pencil brush.

Affinities.—In the structure of the carina, and more especially of the scuta, there is a strong affinity between the present and following species; for we shall immediately see that in P. eburnea there is evidence of the scuta being composed of two segments fused together; and the larger segment is furnished with an internal oblique, strong, basal rim. To this same species there is an evident affinity in the form of the mandibles and of the caudal appendages, and in the anterior rami of the cirri being longer than the posterior rami. Notwithstanding these points of affinity, I consider that P. fissa is more closely related in its whole organisation, as more particularly shown in the arrangement of the spines on the cirri and in the presence of terga, to P. crassa than to P. eburnea. Although in Dichelaspis, the scuta are invariably composed of two almost separate segments, yet P. fissa shows no special affinity to this genus.

5. Pæcilasma eburnea. Pl. II, Fig. 5.

P. valvis 3; scutis acuminatis, ovatis; ad pedunculum pæne transversè spectantibus; dentibus internis umbonalibus fortibus: tergis nullis: carinæ termino basali in discum amplum oblongum infossum producto.

Valves 3; scuta pointed, oval, placed almost transversely to the peduncle; internal umbonal teeth strong: terga absent: carina with the basal end produced into a large, oblong, imbedded disc.

Spines on the upper segments of the posterior cirri, arranged in three or four approximate longitudinal rows, making small brushes.

General Appearance.—Capitulum flat, pear-shaped, placed almost transversely to the peduncle. Valves white, smooth, moderately thick.

Scuta: the basal margin, as seen externally, is narrow, and can hardly be separated from the carinal margin; but an internal basal rim, (fig. 5, b) (along which the imbedded disc of the carina runs,) shows where, in the other species, the basal and carinal margins are separated. This basal internal rim is not parallel to the external basal margin, but runs upwards to the occludent margin, leaving beneath it a large triangular space, to which the membrane of the peduncle is attached; and this makes it appear as if the rostral umbones of these valves had grown downwards; but, judging from the allied species, P. fissa, I have no doubt that the primordial valves really lie on the umbones, and that the growth has been in the usual direction, that is, exclusively upwards. The occludent margin is curved, and blends by a regular sweep into the carinal margin, so that there is no acute upper angle. A distinct line can be seen, as if two calcareous valves had been united, running from the umbo to the upper end of the valve, thus in appearance separating a slip of the occludent margin; internally this appearance is more conspicuous; this structure is important in relation to that of P. fissa. The pointed umbones are divergent, and internally under each, there is a large tooth. The two valves are equally convex.

Terga, entirely absent.

The Carina (Tab. II, fig. 5, a, c), including the disc, is three fourths as long as the scuta; it is placed almost transversely to the longitudinal axis of the peduncle; it is narrow and internally convex; the imbedded disc is very large, forming a continuous curve with the upper part of the carina; this disc runs along the internal basal rim of the scuta, and hence almost separates, internally, the peduncle from the capitulum; it equals one fourth of the total length of the valve, and is thrice as wide as the upper part; it is oval, externally marked by a central line, and with a slight notch at the end, giving a divided appearance to the whole, and indicating how easily a fork might be formed from it. The carina is thick, measured from the inner convex to the exterior surface, which is carinated; heel prominent.

Peduncle, narrow, very short, not nearly so long as the capitulum.

Mouth.—Labrum considerably bullate, with the lower part much produced towards the adductor muscle; crest with small bead-like teeth; palpi small, pointed; mandibles, with the first tooth standing rather distant from the second; inferior angle spine-like and bifid; maxillæ (Pl. X, fig. 15), with two considerable spines (only one is shown in the Plate) beneath the upper large pair; the inferior upraised part bears seven or eight pair of spines, and its edge is not quite straight; close to the main notch, lying under the four upper spines, there are two minute notches, with the interspace bearing a tuft of fine spines and a pair of larger ones.

Cirri.—The rami in all are rather unequal in length, the anterior rami being rather the longest; the anterior rami of the second and third cirri are not thicker than the posterior rami. The segments in the three posterior cirri are not protuberant; the upper segments bear three or four pair of spines, with some minute intermediate ones, and with the lateral marginal spines unusually large and long, so as to form, with the ordinary pairs, a third or fourth longitudinal row; hence a small brush is formed on each segment. The dorsal tuft is large and wide, so as to contain even fourteen spines, of which some are as long as those in front. In the lower segments of these same posterior cirri, the lateral marginal spines are not so much developed (nor is the dorsal tuft), and hence the segments can hardly be said to be brush-like. The first cirrus is placed rather distant from the second pair. The second and third cirri differ from the three posterior pair, only in the bristles being slightly more numerous, and in the dorsal tufts being more spread out.

Caudal Appendages about half the length of the lower segments of the pedicels of the sixth cirrus; truncated and rounded at their ends; thickly clothed with long excessively fine bristles, so as to resemble camel-hair pencils.

The Stomach, I believe, is destitute of cæca; in it was a small crustacean.

General Remarks.—I was at first unwilling to sacrifice Mr. Hind’s genus, Trilasmis, which is so neatly characterised by its three valves; moreover, the present species does differ, in some slight respects, from the other species of Pæcilasma; but under the head of P. fissa I have shown how that species, P. crassa and P. eburnea are tied together. The absence of terga, which are rudimentary in P. crassa, (and we shall hereafter see, in Conchoderma, how worthless a character their entire absence is,) and the arrangement of the spines in the upper segments of the posterior cirri, are the only characters which could be used for a generic separation.

Genus—Dichelaspis. Plate II.