14 CRINOIDE.E. 



matula is derived from these Pentacrini being first seen 

 about the time of the dispersion of the ova of the Comatulte, 

 and again entirely disappearing in September, the only 

 season in which young Comatula are to be obtained." 

 " By what means the ova are dispersed, or how they 

 become attached to the stems and branches of corallines, 

 remains to be discovered ; but it is strongly to be sus- 

 pected that the animal is gifted with the power of placing 

 them in appropriate situations, otherwise we should find 

 them indiscriminately on fuci, shells, stones, &c. which does 

 not appear to be the case. However this may be, if we are 

 allowed to assume that the Pentacrinus Europaus is the 

 young of Comatula, we first perceive the dispersed and 

 attached ova in the form of a flattened oval disk, by which 

 it is permanently fixed to the spot selected, giving exit to 

 an obscurely-pointed head, in which individual the animal 

 is sufficiently advanced to show the incipient formation of 

 the arms and the mouth, with its tentacula, by means of 

 which it obtains the food necessary for its successive 

 growth." 



Although the change of the Pentacrinus into the Feather- 

 star has never been seen, yet the arguments of the dis- 

 coverer of the former appear to me sufficiently to warrant 

 the union of these two animals as one species in different 

 states. I feel more confident in expressing this belief 

 since I know that the identity of the Comatula and Penta- 

 crinus is held by Mr. Thompson of Belfast, and Mr. Ball 

 of Dublin, two gentlemen who have examined the latter 

 animal under the most favourable circumstances, and who 

 exhibited the creature alive to the members of the Natural 

 History Section of the British Association during its 

 session in Dublin. Through the kindness of the former 

 of those naturalists I have been enabled to examine several 



