D. scutorum basali segmento angustiore quam occludens segmentum; longitudine ferè dimidiâ; duorum segmentorum junctione calcareâ: tergorum prominentiis marginalibus inæqualibus quinque: carinâ deorsum in parvo calyce lunato terminatâ.
Scuta with the basal segment narrower than the occludent segment, and about half as long as it; junction of the two segments calcified. Terga with five unequal marginal projections. Carina terminating downwards in a small crescent-formed cup.
Maxillæ with the inferior part of edge much upraised.
Hab. unknown; associated with Scalpellum rutilum, apparently attached to a horny coralline. British Museum.
The specimens are in a bad condition, not one with all the valves in their proper positions, and most of them broken; animal’s body much decayed and fragile.
General Appearance. — Capitulum apparently much flattened; valves naked, coloured reddish, separated from each other by thin structureless membrane.
The Scuta consist of two bars placed at right-angles to each other, with the point of junction fully as wide as any part of the basal segment, and perfectly calcified; the primordial valve lies at the bottom of the occludent segment. The basal segment is equally narrow throughout, and very slightly concave within; the occludent segment widens a little above the junction or umbo, and then keeps of the same width to the apex, which is obliquely truncated; internally this segment is concave; externally it has a central ridge running along it; the occludent segment is twice as long and twice as broad as the basal segment. Both segments are a little bowed from their junction to their apices.
Terga. — These are of a singular shape; they are about three-fourths as long as the occludent segment of the scuta, and in their widest part, of greater width than it. They consist of four prominent ridges proceeding from the umbo, and united together for part only of their length, and, therefore, ending in four prominences; one of these, the longest, has the same width throughout, and forms the basal point; a second, very small one, is seated high up on the carinal margin just above the apex of the carina; the third and fourth, are nearly equal in length, and project one above the other on the scutal margin. There are two occludent margins, meeting each other at right angles, and forming a prominence, as in Lepas; and this gives to the margin of the valve the five prominences. The whole valve internally is flat; externally, it is ridged as described.
Carina (fig. 10, a, b), much bowed, narrow, long; externally, the central ridge is quite flattened; internally, slightly concave, but scarcely so towards the lower part, which is narrow; the upper part widens gradually, and the apex is rounded. The basal embedded portion is as wide as the uppermost part, and forms a cup, unlike anything else known: the outline of this cup is semi-oval and crescent-formed; it is moderately deep; it is formed by the external lamina of the carina bending rectangularly downwards and a little outwards, whereas the inner lamina of the lower part (which is slightly concave), is continued with the same curve as just above, and forms the concave chord to the semi-oval rim of the cup. This cup, I believe, lies under the points of the basal segments of the scuta.
Peduncle unknown, probably short.
Length of capitulum, above 2/10ths of an inch.
Mouth. — Labrum with the upper part highly bullate, and produced into a large overhanging projection; crest with a row of rather large bead-like teeth; palpi small, their two sides parallel, very sparingly covered with long bristles.
Mandibles, narrow, produced, with four teeth, and the inferior angle produced into a single strong spine: the distance between the tips of the first and second teeth almost equals that between the tip of the second tooth and of the inferior angle.
Maxillæ with three large upper unequal spines, beneath which, there is a deep and wide notch (bearing one spine), and the inferior part projects highly, bearing three or four pairs of spines, and is, itself, obscurely divided into two steps.
Outer Maxillæ, very sparingly covered with bristles; outline, hemispherical.
Cirri. — The rami of the five posterior pair are extremely long, as are the pedicels; the segments are much elongated, with their anterior faces not at all protuberant; each bears five pair of very long and thin spines, with an excessively minute one between each pair; the dorsal tuft consists of very fine and thin spines. The second cirrus has its anterior ramus not at all thicker than the posterior ramus; but has an exterior third longitudinal row of small bristles. First cirrus, separated by a wide interval from the second pair; very short with the two rami slightly unequal in length; the segments are broad, and are paved moderately thickly with spines; the terminal spines not particularly thick.
Caudal Appendages consist of very small and narrow plates, about half the length of the pedicels of the sixth cirrus, with a few long spines at their ends.
This well-marked species, I think, has not more affinity to one than to another of the previous species: it differs from all, in the junction between the two segments of the scuta being perfectly calcified; in the peculiar cup, forming the base of the carina; and lastly, in the inferior part of the maxillæ projecting.