BALANUS TULIPIFORMIS EX CORALLIO RUBRO. _Ellis._[88] Philosoph.
Transactions, vol. 50 (1758), tab. 30, fig. 10.
LEPAS TULIPA. _Poli._ Test. utriusque Siciliæ, tab. 5, fig. 1. et 6
(1791).
BALANUS TINTINNABULUM (_var._) _Chenu._ Illust. Conch., tab. 3, f. 5.
[88] According to the letter of the Rules of the British
Association, Ellis's name ought to be retained, as it was published
in 1758, the same year during which the 10th edition of the
'Systema Naturæ' appeared, in which edition the binomial method
was first used. But as Ellis himself did not then know of, or
follow this method, it might be disputed whether, according to the
_spirit_ of the law, his name ought to stand. The only other name
given to this species is that of _tulipa_, affixed by Poli in 1791,
but this name had been previously used by Müller in 1776, and by
Chemnitz in 1785, for another species, the _B. Hameri_ of this
work; and likewise, also previously to Poli, by Bruguière in 1789,
for still another species, viz., _B. tintinnabulum_ of this work:
under these complicated causes of confusion, I think it is highly
advisable to adopt Ellis's name. I may add that the _B. tulipa_ of
Mr. G. B. Sowerby is the _B. tintinnabulum_ of this work. It is
possible that the _B. conoides_ of Brown, 'Illustrations Conch.'
(1st edit. pl. 6, fig. 7), may be our present species; but without
details of structure it is hardly possible to identify, in many
cases, the species of Balanus.
_Shell dark rose-coloured, sometimes tinged with purple; orifice
toothed. Scutum externally very smooth, covered by membrane. Tergum
with distinct crests for the depressor muscles._
_Hab._--Sicily, Malta, Malaga, (associated with _B. perforatus_),
Madeira. Often growing in clusters and associated with _Pachylasma
giganteum_. Attached to _Millepora aspera_, oysters, and other
shells. According to Poli, an inhabitant of deep water; yet in mus.
Cuming there are two fine specimens attached to the always floating
_Lepas anatifera._ Mus. Lowe, Macandrew, Stutchbury.
_General Appearance._--Shell tubulo-conical or conical: orifice
large, toothed, approaching to pentagonal. Surface moderately smooth,
naked. Colour rosy, or tile-red, with a slight tinge of purple; or
beautiful rich purple. Radii nearly as dark as, or darker than, the
parietes. The portion of the alæ seen externally is generally white.
Internally the whole shell is nearly white. Generally the tints
outside vary in transverse fasciæ; sometimes there are very fine,
dark, longitudinal lines. Largest specimen (from Malta), 1.4 of an
inch in basal diameter; usually full-sized specimens are about three
quarters of an inch in basal diameter.
_Scuta_ (Pl. 2, fig. 2 _a_, 2 _c_) very smooth, with the
growth-ridges very little prominent, sometimes there are obscure
traces of longitudinal striæ; surface covered by an unusually thick
and persistent yellow membrane: valve narrow, with the upper part
commonly reflexed: the basal margin forms, with the occludent margin,
a smaller angle than is usual: the tergal margin of the valve is
rectangularly inflected, instead of being, as is usual, merely
bowed inwards. Internally, the articular ridge is rather prominent.
The depth of the _slight_ pit for the lateral depressor muscle is
variable; it sometimes includes a minute, central, longitudinal ridge.
_Terga_ (2 _b_, 2 _d_): the longitudinal furrow is deep, with the
sides folded in; the spur is placed at about its own width from
the basi-scutal angle; it is moderately long, with its lower end
obliquely rounded off; but the length, breadth, and precise outline
of the lower end varies a little. The basal margin on the opposite
sides of the spur, forms a nearly straight line, but with the
portion on the carinal side very slightly hollowed out. Crests for
the depressor muscle are well developed.
_Compartments._--The radii and alæ always have their summits oblique:
the sutural edges of the radii are deeply penetrated by pores between
the strongly denticulated septa: the sutural edges of the alæ are
quite smooth: the tubes in the parietes are crossed in the upper
part of the shell by septa. _Basis_ tubular, with an underlying
cancellated mass.
_Mouth._--Labrum with the teeth either absent or very small:
mandibles with the fourth and fifth teeth rudimentary: maxillæ with
a small notch under the two upper spines; near the lower angle,
two spines, one beneath the other, are larger even than the upper
pair; beneath the lower pair, there is a tuft of fine spines.
_Cirri_, segments protuberant in one ramus of the first cirrus and
in both rami of the second cirrus; posterior cirri with the segments
short and broad, each bearing three pairs of spines, with a small
intermediate tuft.
_Affinities._--This species in all essential respects comes very near
to the three last varieties of _B. tintinnabulum_, which have the
orifices of their shells toothed. The smoothness of the scutum, with
its persistent epidermis,--its peculiar shape,--its small and not
reflexed articular ridge,--together with the crests on the tergum for
the depressor muscles, are sufficient diagnostic characters. Even in
general habit and tint of colour, this species has a different aspect
from _B. tintinnabulum_. In some respects _B. tulipiformis_ leads
into the species included in the third section of the genus.