58 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



On the Grasping Power of Carboniferous Crinoid 

 "Fingers" or "Branches," and a Speculation as 

 to whether the Bulk of the Carboniferous 

 Crinoidea were Fixed or Floating Animals. 



By John Smith, Corresponding Member. 



[Read 25tli May, 1897.] 



It is now more than twenty years since I collected, at Wester- 

 house, near Carluke, Lanarkshire, specimens showing parts of two 

 Crinoid "fingers" or "branches,"' twisted tightly round the stems 

 of other Crinoids, or perhaps round those to which the fingers 

 belonged. Since then I have examined a considerable quantity 

 of shale from various places, both in Carboniferous and Silurian 

 districts, but it was only within the last twelve months that I 

 obtained further examples of the grasping Crinoid remains. 



At Auchenskeith, Dairy Parish, Ayrshire, there is a bank of shale, 

 about the centre of the quarry, with a considerable quantity of 

 Crinoid debris exposed on it, and from it — by washing a large 

 amount of the shale — I obtained a few examples. This Crinoid 

 shale has come from the " upper post " of the Lotver Limestone 

 Series, which here is pretty much cut up by interlaminated beds 

 of fossiliferous shale, the section varying considerably along the 

 exposed part of the quarry. 



Opposite the spoil bank where the grasping Crinoid remains 

 most frequently occur, the section of this limestone is as follows: — 



Fossiliferous shale with much Crinoid debris, - - 4 feet. 

 Crinoid shale with 3 bands of Crinoidal limestone, - 4 „ 

 Shale with many small Corals, and 1 band of lime- 

 stone with Corals, 2 ,, 



Limestone with 8 thin bands of shale, - -, - 4 ,, 



Limestone with 9 partings of shale, - - - 4^ ,, 



(Alum Shale.) 



