55 



SPECIAL REMAKKS. 



After linviii^ cxainiiu'il iiuinerous si)ecimeiis of Acfinorn'juis 

 (/ihsoiii we arc alik- to say tliat it is a true Aeilnocrinus with no iioar 

 affinity to an ErctiiKirrimis or any s])ocips of Bdtocriiiiis. 



In di'scriliiu'^ (J(iiii(isferoi<l<>cniiii!< li/oiiiimis it was sufijgested that 

 the furiftions jK'rformed by tlie lateral prolougatious from the vault 

 the "ijspudo-anibulacral apxiendages" of Meek, might not be essen- 

 tially distinct from those performed by the x^roboscis in other genera. 

 This view we have not entertained since the study of the genus 

 DoldforriitKs, as may be seen from our remarks under that genus, 

 and also under Bafocn'iuis. and under the definitions of Oilhrrtso- 

 crhiiis (jrceuci and ( louiaslcroidocrinus faherl. We now regard 

 them as ovarian extensions. If the i)ores. which we have called 

 ovarian, are really ovarian pores, there would be little doubt about 

 these extensions from the vault belonging to the ovarian system. 

 The great difficulty, that surri)unds the assertion that they are 

 ovarian, is the fact that some species do not have any visible pores. 

 The proboscis in Fotcrlocrinus circumiextus is full of pores, and we 

 have seen them in the proboscis of other species. Where the pores 

 are. in the vaidt. between tlu' arms, as iu Bdfoci'iiins. wt> have not 

 seen them penetrating the proboscis. All of which tends to show 

 that the pores, at the margin of the calyx, at the bases of the arms 

 and penetrating the proboscis performed similar functions, and if 

 one is ovarian all are. If all this is a correct inter^jretation of the 

 function of these orifices, it leads to the conclusion that genera, 

 having pores at the angles of the plates of the calyx and not else- 

 where, were in possession of ovarian pores that discharged through 

 the calyx itself. 



Batocrinus nodosarius occurs at Sedalia, Missouri, and also in 

 Adams county, Illinois. 



