106 Messrs. Austins' Arrangement of the Crinoidea. 



XVIII. — Proposed Arrangement of the Echinodermata, par- 

 ticularly as regards the Crinoidea and a Subdivision of the 

 Class Adelostella (Echinidae). By Thomas Austin, Esq., 

 and Thomas Austin, Jun. 



Having been engaged for several years past in investigating 

 the Crinoidea, both recent and fossil, as well as the Echino- 

 dermata generally, we have arrived at the conviction that the 

 existing classification cannot with propriety be applied to 

 fossil species, we therefore purpose to adopt in our proposed 

 monograph on the Crinoidea the arrangement as now sub- 

 mitted. 



The numerous works which have already appeared, or are 

 in progress, respecting the Echinodermata, would, it might be 

 supposed, render further observations on the subject super- 

 fluous ; but as these works are mostly at variance with each 

 other, and not unfrequently with themselves as regards the 

 extent and limits of the different families belonging to this ex- 

 tensive and highly interesting class of animals, we are induced 

 to offer a few observations on the want of a proper general 

 arrangement of the Echinodermata, whereby every attempt at 

 their classification on a sure and solid foundation has in every 

 instance signally failed. Professor Forbes has, it is true, in 

 his very interesting work (History of British Starfishes and 

 other animals of the class Echinodermata) thrown them into 

 natural groups, but then the characters he has assigned to 

 the Crinoidea and Echinidae would, if followed, exclude our 

 numerous fossil species from their proper station in the ani- 

 mal kingdom. 



It is with considerable diffidence we venture to dissent from 

 such justly approved authors as Mr. Forbes and some others 

 who have written on the Echinodermata ; but as their views, if 

 strictly observed, would place our interesting fossil species 

 " nowhere," we have no choice left but to propose an arrange- 

 ment of our own, founded on characters which we hope will 

 exclude none that properly belong to the Echinodermata ; and 

 though we feel diffident as to our abilities in being able to 

 make our proposed classification sufficiently intelligible, we 

 feel none whatever as to our motive, which is, if possible, to 

 place the nomenclature relating to the Echinodermata on a 

 solid basis, whereby the views of the zoologist and the palae- 

 ontologist may be in Unison, and not run counter to each 

 other as is too frequently the case ; and also to plead in be- 

 half of an interesting and much maligned class of animals, 

 and to demand that they may be allowed to take rank and 

 precedence in the animal kingdom according to strict justice, 



