A MONOGRAPH 



ON THE 



FOSSIL ECHINODERMATA 



OP THE 



CRETACEOUS FOEMATIONS. 



THE ASTEROIDEA. 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 



It was the intention of the late Dr. Thomas Wright to have continued his 

 magnificent series of Monographs on the British Fossil Echinodermata of the 

 Oolitic and Cretaceous Formations, which have already appeared in the volumes of 

 the Paloeoutographical Society, by the publication of a Monograph on the Creta- 

 ceous Asteroidea. "With this object in view a number of plates had been prepared 

 under Dr. Wright's directions, and some preparatory notes for the letterpress had 

 been written, when the work was cut short by the lamented death of the author. 

 Subsequently the Council of the Palaeontographical Society did me the honour of 

 inviting me to undertake the memoir. The plates and notes above mentioned 

 were placed at my disposal, but tiie latter proved to be for the main part merely 

 summaries or transcripts of descrijjtions already published, and were unfortunately 

 unsuitable to form part of the letterpress. For the whole of the latter I am 



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