2 The Column of Jleterocrinus heterodadyhis. 



(Subscribers. About the close of the last year I determiued to attempt 

 the publication of such a journal, and now offer this issue to the public, 

 though much of it is necessarily selected matter. 



It will not compare with scientific journals long established and 

 edited by a corps of able contributors, but, if sustained at all, there is 

 no reason why the local talent can not, at an early day, produce a jour- 

 nal of original matter equal to any published elsewhere. 



The Column of Heterocrinus heterodadijlus ; by S. A. Miller. 



The column of the Heteroeriniis heterodactylus may be divided, for 

 description, into three parts : 1st, that part within about two inches of 

 the base ; 2d, that part which follows until within about two inches of 

 the head ; 3d, that part within about two inches of the liead. This 

 measurement will be applicable to a medium-sized specimen. 



When the column emerges from the base it is composed of numer- 

 ous small pieces, that appear to interlock with each other, but at the 

 distance of about one fourth of an inch from the base each plate of 

 the column is composed of five pieces, representing the five partite ap- 

 pearance of the column, and have ceased to interlock with each other. 

 The column is here quite round, smooth and regular, each plate appear- 

 ing to be of nearly the same thickness. From one fourth of an inch 

 to one half of an inch from the base there are 30 plates, or 150 pieces. 

 At the distance of one half an inch from the base the five partite struc- 

 ture begins to be less distinct, and the plates seem to be alternately 

 thicker and thinner. This appearance becomes more marked as you 

 move up the cokunn, until at the distance of one inch from the base, 

 the pieces of the plates have coalesced, so that no five partite structure 

 is now visible. The smaller intermediate plates now grow thinner and 

 thinner, until they have completely anchylosed and blended with the 

 larger plates, and become invisible at the distance of two inches 

 fi'om the base. As the intermediate plates grow thinner, the column 

 becomes more beaded in its appearance, so that when tliey have com. 

 pletely anchylosed and blended with the larger plates the column j^re- 

 sents the appearance of a string of small beads, each of which is a lit- 

 tle less than half the length of its diameter. 



2d. The length of the second part of the column is unknown, but the 

 same beaded appearance evidently continues until it approaches witliin 

 about two inches of the head, ^vhen it assumes the pentagonal form, as 

 hereafter described. From the quantity of fragments of columns 

 found, it is likely that this second part was two or three feet, or even 



