A. H. CLARK : THE CRINOIDS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN. 29 



The palffiontological record is astonishingly complete, and many of the recent 

 genera run far back in geological time. The correlation between the Jurassic 

 and later hoi'izons and the present East Indian crinoid fauna will show many very 

 interesting facts when properly worked out. At the present state of knowledge 

 it would seem as if the European Jurassic had received its fauna by means of a 

 past sea connection north of what is now India, a suggestion which it is well 

 worth while to follow up, as it is supplemented by other similar facts indicated 

 in other groups. 



Like many other animals the crinoids have suffered at the hands of the palae- 

 ontologists through being forced to show many things geologically perhaps 

 probable, but zoologically very doubtful, Especially has this been the case with 

 the phylogeny. Very highly specialized types have been made to appear as the 

 ancestors of more generalized types simply because they happened to precede them 

 in the rocks. Exquisite phylogenetic trees have been constructed showing the 

 development from the earliest to the recent species, which, zoologically, would be 

 much more logical and correct if inverted and constructed from the recent species 

 as a base to the earliest forms at the top. In the study of the crinoids each 

 geological horizon should be treated in the light of a zoogeographic or faunal 

 region, on the same plane as the recent zoogeographic regions, and much more of 

 truth will result than by the use of the commonly accepted methods. 



G. COERELATION OF THE RECORDS OF PREVIOUS 



AUTHORS. 



In the course of my studies upon the recent crinoids I have reviewed the 

 original material which has served as the basis for almost all of the papers that 

 have been published upon the species inhabiting the Indian Ocean and adjacent 

 seas, and, naturally, I have discovered a number of cases of erroneous identifica- 

 tion. In order that the works of the earlier authors may be readily understood 

 I have prepared the following lists in which the left-hand column gives the name 

 of the species as recorded, and the right-hand the names as now accepted of the 

 species represented by the specimen or specimens upon which the record is ac- 

 tually based, as determined from my study of the original example. Taken in 

 conjunction with the synonymy given for each species these lists should make the 

 comprehension of the records heretofore published, at present very difficult, 

 comparatively easy. 



HISTOIRE NATURELLE DBS ANIMAUX SANS VERT^BRES- 



LES OOMATULES. 



M. le Chevalier de Lamarck, 181(5. 



p. 533 Comatula Solaris . . . . Comatula Solaris. 



n . , 1,- J- . f Capillaster sentosa. 



Comatula miUtiradtata .. ^ ^ . i.-^j 



C Uoniaster nmlhfida. 



