324 Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



causes than those now in existence have operated to pi-oduce the results 

 thus traced out, and that the solution of the whole question of the 

 anomalous distribution, excess or want of varietal characters, and 

 abundance or paucit}' of species, must be sought somewhere else than 

 in the causes to which these facts have usually' been ascribed, 



I am well aware that the results above presented are but a few of those 

 to which this stud}^ leads ; but 1 am also aware that a satisfactorj^ 

 solution of the questions indicated is far from being an easj^ matter ; 

 and that if a reasonable solution can be offered, it will be a key toman}^ 

 of the troublesome questions connected with species, and this solution 

 I hope to attempt in a future paper. 



DESCRIPTIONS OF CRINOIDS FB03I THE UPPER SUB- 

 CARBONIFEROUS OF PULASKI COUNTY, KY. 



By A. G. .Wetherby, A. M., 



Prof, of Geology and Zoology, University of Cincinnati. 



In the Bulletin of the Eoyal Academy of Belgium, vol, viii., pt. 2, 

 p. 13, 1858, Dr. L. De Kouinck. the illustrious palaeontologist, pub- 

 lished his description of the genus Hydreionocrinus, and illustrated it 

 with figures of various species. 



A careful stud}' of his figures and description seems to suggest that 

 the specimens which he had under consideration were not in a condition 

 sufficiently perfect to determine or indicate all their characters. At 

 all events, there are many reasons for believing that specimens which I 

 have collected in the upper part of the Chester Group of the Subcarbon. 

 iferous, in Pulaski county, Ky,, and which had been, previous to the 

 appearance of Mr. Wachsmuth's Eevision of the Palseocrinoidea, re- 

 ferred to Zeacrinus, may belong to the genus established by Dr. 

 Koninck. 



Though Mr, Wachsmuth, to whom I have sent specimens of these 

 crinoids, refers them to the species described by Meek and Worthen, 

 under the names Zeacrinus armiger, Proc. Acad. Nat, Sci. Phil., and 

 Z. deioressus, Troost, as defined by Hall, Geo. Rep. Iowa, vol. i., pt. 2, 

 p. 546, I have every reason to believe that this reference is incorrect, 

 and that the fossils here figured are undescribed species. I do not^ 

 however, forget Mr. Wachsmuth's claim to be regarded as the highest 

 American authority on these fossils, and refrain from adding any new 



