REPOET ON THE CRINOIDEA. iii 



These, and other causes for delay which I need not mention, have not, however, 

 been altogether disadvantageous ; for various small and more or less local collections of 

 Comatulse have come into my hands during the past five years, and the experience gamed 

 by their examination has been of great value in causing me to modify some of my earlier 

 judgments respecting specific characters. 



The seventy plates accompanying this Eeport have been drawn by the following 

 artists — Messrs. Berjeau and Highley, Parker and Coward, George West and Sons, and 

 Mr. W. S. Evans ; and I desire to express my thanks to all these gentlemen for the care 

 with which they have always endeavoured to carry out my wishes. I am also greatly 

 indebted to my friend Professor F. J. Bell, F.Z.S., of the British Museum, for the ready 

 way in which he has always given me the utmost facilities for examining the collection 

 of Comatula? under his care. 



I have likewise to acknowledge the courteous kindness of Professor S. Loven at 

 Stockholm, Professor A. Schneider of Breslau, Dr. E. von Marenzeller of Vienna, 

 Dr. Otto Hamann of Gottingen, and Dr. F. Nansen of Bergen, who have been good enough 

 to send selected Comatulaa to me for examination from the collections in their charge. 

 It is proper also that I should record my indebtedness to the authorities of the numerous 

 Continental Museums which I visited in 1880, for the uniform courtesy with which 

 their collections were placed at my disposal. 



It only remains, in conclusion, for me to express my sincere thanks to Mr. John 

 Murray for the kind patience with which he has borne the numerous delays in the 

 completion of this Report, to which I have referred above ; and also to Mr. W. E. Hoyle, 

 M.A., of the Challenger office, for the careful manner in which he has supervised its 

 passage through the press. 



Eton College, April 1888. 



