CRINOIDEA. 



Though the myriads of Lily-stars which formerly existed have ahnost ■wholly disappeared fiom the living creation, new forms 

 of animals, somewhat analogous h\ theii" natui'es, have appeai-ed to supply the place of the cxtiiict Crinoideans : thus we 

 find innumerable Echini and Asferi(p inhabiting localities, where, under a former condition of our planet, the LUy-stars 

 waved their g^racefid rays in the pellucid waters of an ocean whose surface was never ruffled by the prow of the wandering 

 bark, or its liidden depths explored by the seaixhing eyes of the swarthy pearl fisher. 



PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. 



The want of a complete work on that portion of the Echhioderniatii, knowni as the 

 Crinoidea, has been frequently regretted by the scientific inquii'er ; for though much 

 has been written on the subject, it has been presented to the world in such a scattered 

 and desultory manner, that reference to many volumes is necessary to obtain even a 

 supei-ficial insight into the form and structiu'e of the beautiful " LiEes of the Ocean." 



Although considerable attention has been devoted to the subject, fi-om the period 

 when Sii- Isaac Newton and other philosophers were interested in the inquiry as to the 

 origin and nature of the fossil species, down to oiu- own times, when extended observa- 

 tion has so increased our means of rightly explaining much that is interesting concerning 

 the Crinoidea, yet we do not possess a single work, mth the exception of Miller's, that 

 is devoted entkely to the subject. 



Subsequently to the appearance of Miller's Natural History of the Crinoidea, many 

 new genera and species liave been discovered, and more pei-fect specimens of those which 

 were then known obtained. So fortunate ha^'e we been in our researches, that we have, 

 unaided by other obscrAers, discovered and collected a greater number of new species 

 than had been heretofore obtained, from the earliest period to the date at which Miller 

 ^vrote. These, added to the acquisitions of other collectors, have so extended our know- 

 ledge of these animals, that it is presumed a work, including all the known species, -vviU 

 prove highly interesting to the Zoologist, and of considerable importance to the Geologist, 

 as elucidating many peculiarities of organic existence at the earliest geological epochs 

 do^ai to the present period, when but one or two living species of Crinoidea remain as 

 the representatives of all the varied forms which inhabited the ancient seas. 



Though we disclaim every intention of wishing to indidge in in\-idious allusions to 



