Descriptions of New Crinoids. 251 



Group of the Subcarboniferous, at King's Mouutain Tunnel, on the 

 Cincinnati Southern Railway, and the type was geuerously given me 

 by him, and belongs to ray collection. A fine specimen of the same 

 species is also in Mr. Ulrich's cabinet. 



In connection with the publication of new species from the sub- 

 carboniferous rocks, and the reference of one of these species to Cromy- 

 ocrinus, Traucschold, it seems necessary to call attention to a paper 

 on the structure of the Pcdwoci-inoidea, recently published,* which 

 will be read by all who take an interest in this subject, and which seems 

 to have been the result of a verj' extended study and intimate know- 

 ledge of the genera treated. In the discussion of the genus Graphio- 

 crimi.s, the authors insist upon the generic character of a single " anal" 

 plate. It is a fact well known to careful students of American sub- 

 carboniferous crinoids, that several of the species could be referred to 

 this genus b}- every other character save the number of '•' anals". Among 

 these is the so-called Zeacrimcs maniformis, which our authors have 

 placed, provisionally, under a new genus Scytalocriaus. While ad- 

 mitting the alliances of this crinoid to Oraphiocriyius, our authors 

 have not made this reference on account of the number of anal plates. 

 When, however, the}' come to the discussion of the closely allied genus 

 which was called E up achy cr in as, by Meek and Worthen, without any 

 definition, and afterwards, Cromyocrinus, by Prof Trautschold. our 

 authors no longer regard the presence of a definite number of " anals" 

 as necessary, and throw together under Eupachycrinus an assemblage 

 of crinoids having the arms in number from five to fourteen, with 

 anomalous numbers like seven and nine, and with single and double 

 rows of arm plates. 



In explanation of this reference, it is asserted that this period was 

 one of maximum activity in evolution, and that given characters must 

 be difierentl}' interpreted as the result of this fact. It is proposed, 

 briefly, to review this subject, not as a criticism, but to show how these 

 facts appeal to different minds. In the revised descriptions of the genera 

 Eiqjachycrinus and Graphiocrinus, hy these authors, we have in each, 

 under basals five, basals five, radials five, brachials five. In Eupachy- 

 crinus " anals generally three, rareh' one,'' in Graphiocrinus " a single, 

 rather small anal plate." Trautschold's genus Cromyocrinus, as il- 

 lustrated by his generic figures, and b}^ specimens kindly' loaned me 

 b}^ Mr. Wachsmuth, has a greater number of anal plates, which ma}' 

 be formulated as thi-ee or more. For comparison, we will now tabulate 

 these formulae. 



'•'" Kevision of the Palaeocrinoidea by Chas. Wachsmutli and Frank Springer, Part 1. 



