NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 323 



fourth, fifth and sixth in orbit, last three longer than high ; temporals 1 — 2. 

 Ten inferior labials, postgenials longer than pregenials. 



Total length 23-5 in, ; to vent 17 in.; to rictus oris 7 lin. ; to orbit 1-5 lin. 

 Gastrosteges 197, urosteges 105. 



Yellowish-brown above, gastro- and urosteges rich yellow. Top of head 

 brown, lips paler, the upper edges of the plates light, continuing into a streak 

 to belly. 



From the Seychelle Islands ; found by U. S. consul Pike. Mus. Acad. Nat. 

 Sciences. 



Notes on some points in the Structure and Habits of the Palaezoic CKINOIDEA. 



BY F. B. MEEK AND A. II. WORTHEN, 



Of the State Geological Survey of Illinois. 



Through the kindness of Mr. Charles Wachsinuth, of Burlington, Iowa, we 

 have recently had an opportunity to examine some unique and exceedingly in- 

 teresting specimens of Carboniferous Crinoids, showing parts of the structure 

 of these animals, in some instances, never before observed, so far as we are at 

 this time informed. In a few instances, these specimens show internal organs 

 entirely free from the matrix, and althougli like all the other solid parts of 

 these curious creatures, composed of numerous calcareous pieces, really sur- 

 passing in delicacy of structure the finest lace-work, and so frail that a touch, 

 or even a breath, might almost destroy them.* Some of these specimens we 

 propose to notice here, but, before proceeding to do so, we avail ourselves of 

 this opportunity to express our thanks to Mr. Wachsmuth for the zeal, indus- 

 try, skill and intelligence he has brought to bear, in collecting and preparing 

 for study, such an unrivaled series of the beautiful fossil Crinoidea of this 

 wonderfullj'- rich locality. Some idea of the extent of his collection of these 

 precious relics may be formed, when we state that of the single family Actino- 

 crinidie alone, after making due allowance for probable synonj'ms, he must 

 have specimens of near 150 species, or perhaps more, and many of them show- 

 ing the body, arms and column. , 



It is also due to Mr. Wachsmnth, that we should state here that he is not a 

 mere collector only, but that he understands what he collects, and knows just 

 what to collect, as well as how to collect. 



Below we give substantially some notes of observations made in his collec- 

 tion, followed by some remarks on other specimens at Springfield : 



1. Sf/nbathocrinus, Phillips. Some of Mr. Wachsmuth's specimens of a spe- 

 cies of this genus show that it is provided with a long, slender, pipe-stem like 

 ventral tube, or proboscis, apparently equaling the arms in length. Also, that 

 a double row of minute alteruating marginal pieces extends up within the am- 

 bulacral furrows of the arms, apparently all their length. We are not aware 

 that these characters have been hitherto noticed in any of the publications on 

 this genus. It will be seen, however, farther on, that minute marginal pieces 

 probably occupied the furrows along the inner side of the arms of other types 

 of Crinoidea, as well as this. 



2. jfoniasteroidocrinus, Lyon and Casseday. Some unusually fine specimens 

 of the typical species of this genus [G. tuberosum) iu Mr. Wachsmuth's collec- 

 tion, from Crawfordsville, Ind., show the slender pendent arms much more 

 distinctly than any we had before seen, and from these it seems evident that 

 these arms are stouter than we had supposed, and that there are not more than 

 five or six of them to each of the ten openings. In the specimen figured by us 

 on page 220 of the second volume of the Illinois Reports, these arms were only 

 imperfectly seen by working away, with great difficulty, the hard matrix be- 



* By Mr. Wachsmuth's permission, we have prepared for future publication, dravrmgsof 

 all of these instructive specimens. 



1868.] 



