ENCRINITES. 109 



morning, I was struck with the following article, 

 which I thought worth your perusal. Mr. Parkin- 

 son, in his Organic Remains, makes a calculation of 

 the number of pieces he found in a species of ani- 

 mal fossil, of the family of encrinites, that is truly 

 astonishing. ^' A careful examination," says he, 

 ^"^ ascertains the curious fact that, independently of 

 the number of pieces which may be contained in the 

 vertebral column, and which, from its probable great 

 length, may be very numerous, the fossil skeleton of 

 the superior part of this animal consists of at least 

 twenty-six thousand pieces." They are disposed in 

 the following manner : 



Of the bones forming the body, there 



are five central .... 5 



Five ribs 5 



Five clavicles .... 5 



Five scapulae .... 5 



Arms. — Six bones in each of the ten 



arms 60 



Hands. — Each hand being formed 



of two fingers, and each finger 



consisting of at least forty small 



bones, these, in twenty fingers, 



make 800 



Tentacula : thirty proceeding from 



each of the six bones, in each of 



the ten arms, make . . 1,800 



Carried forward 2,680 



