REPORT ON THE CTJNOIDEA. iu 



Upon examining the two collections of the "Blake" and the Challenger, I found that 

 they contained some half dozen species of which no figures had been drawn at all ; so 

 that several additional plates would be necessary in order to illustrate them adequately; 

 while diagnoses were wanted of nearly thirty specific types, most of them being 

 undescribed, and some representing new genera. 



The preliminary study of these various forms in their zoological aspect alone occupied 

 a good deal of time ; but having a strong conviction that they could only be properly 

 understood by the help of a detailed knowledge of their fossil representatives, I was led 

 to take up the study of the fossil Crinoids, more especially those of the Secondary and 

 Tertiary periods. This naturally brought up the question of the relation between the 

 Neocrinoids and the Palseocrinoids, which had already been occupying my thoughts for 

 some time past. 



Besides these palseontological questions, many others presented themselves of a 

 morphological nature ; and I have endeavoured to obtain such a knowledge of the 

 morphology of recent Crinoids as would be of substantial aid in the interpretation of the 

 many puzzling forms among their fossil representatives, and also bring out their relation 

 to the other Echinodermata. Many others have been at work upon the same lines, with 

 varying opportunities and difterent degrees of success. Very much, however, still 

 remains to be done, more especially with regard to the finer details of microscopic 

 anatomy, which can only be thoroughly investigated in individuals specially prepared for 

 the purpose when quite fresh. In this way alone is it possible to obtain series of sections 

 of the requisite thinness and perfection of histological detail ; and I would therefore ask 

 those who may be disposed to criticise my figures to rememl^er that the preparations 

 were mostly made before the introduction of the Jung or CaldweE microtomes, from 

 material which had been in spirit for periods varying from two to fifteen years. 



Several morphological and one or two systematic works upon the Crinoids have 

 appeared during the passage of this Eeport through the press ; and I have therefore added 

 an Appendix which contains a series of notes discussing the various questions to which 

 those works relate. Reference is given to these notes in the text, so that this first part 

 of the Crinoid Report may be regarded as presenting an epitome of our knowledge of 

 Crinoid structure up to the end of the present year. 



The second part of the Report, containing descriptions of the Comatulae collected 

 by the Challenger and " Porcupine," will be published as soon as ever the necessary 

 plates can be drawn, and the manuscript revised, parts of the latter being now more than 

 five years old. 



Of the sixty-nine plates accompanying Part I., twenty-eight were drawn at Edin- 

 burgh under the direction of Sir Wyville Thomson. Five others illustrating the 

 structure of Pentacrinus wyville-thomsoni were prepared by ]\Ir. George West to 

 accompany a memoir upon this type, commenced some years ago by my father, who has 



