OBSERVATIONS 
ON THE 
GENERA, 
Comatula, Eurpale, Ophiura, and Asteria, 
INTRODUCTION. 
My inquiries into the anatomical details of the Crinoidea, necessarily con- 
ducted me to the investigation of several other organic remains, hitherto con-- 
sidered as belonging to the Encrinites, and also to an examination of the animals 
arranged by Linn us in the genera Asteria and Echinus, since these appear in. 
some parts of their structure, more or less allied to the former. I was still further 
animated to enter into the details of this investigation, since M. Cuvier asserts 
in his Regne Animale (vol. tv. p. 8.) ‘‘ that their bony arrangement deserves to 
be studied ;” which made me conclude that this part of anatomy has been as 
yet left untouched by that great naturalist. 
Of the Linnean genus Asteria, M. Lamarck has formed’ a family 
to which he has assigned the name STELLERID#, comprehending four genera, 
arising from the subdivison of the above Linnean genus. With a view to dis- 
cover the animals which form a link between the Crinoidea and ‘Asteria, I 
dissected several individuals of the family Stelleridz. 
