TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 115 



parous process, in which the gemraules, when sufficiently matured, burst 

 their envelope, and become lodged in the interseptal spaces, where they 

 are exposed to the access and continued supplies of sea-water, the grand 

 stimulus to their future development. In the absence of any direct 

 evidence as to the nature of the vei-miform filaments, the author sus- 

 pects that they are elongated follicular glands, analogous to the sali- 

 vary, pancreatic, and hepatic follicles of animals a little higher in the 

 scale of organization, supplying secretions subservient to the digestive 

 process. 



A drawing was exhibited, and a description given, of a new species 

 of Ascaris, discovered by Dr. Bellingham, which he called A. alatcu 

 The distinctive character of this species was, that its posterior extre- 

 mity was larger than its anterior. 



On certain Monstrosities of the Genus Encrinus. By G. B. 



SOWERBY, F.L.S. 



Mr. Sowerby's immediate object was to point out certain monstrosi- 

 ties to which the Encrinus inoniliformis is subject, which chiefly af- 

 fect the arn^. The plates of the pelvis (Miller) are also affected in 

 number and somewhat in form. 



The I'adiaria are usually divided by five, i. e. the normal number of 

 plates of the pelvis is five ; though there are not wanting instances of 

 genera whose pelvis consists of only three plates : we shall, however, 

 find that even these return to the normal number (Pentatrematites), for 

 they have five scapulars, ten Intercostals, &-c. In Encrinus the normal 

 number of pelvic plates is five, the costals five, and the scapulars five ; 

 these are then usually divided, so that there are usually ten arms setting 

 off from the five scapulars. One of the monstrosities in question has 

 only nine arms, though it has five plates to the pelvis, five costals, and 

 five scapulars ; in this instance one of the scapulars only has produced 

 one arm, the other four having produced the usual number. Another 

 of the monstrosities has eleven arms, though this also has only the nor- 

 mal number of pelvic plates, costals, and scapulars ; one of these last 

 sends off three arms. Another has eleven arms, arising from an in- 

 creased number of pelvic, costal, and scapular plates, one of the scapu- 

 lars sending off only one arm, the remaining five sending off two each. 

 Another specimen has twelve arms, arising from six pelvic plates, six 

 costals, and six scapulars ; in this instance, though each scapular sends 

 off two arms, one pair of pelvic plates, costals, and scapulars is uni- 

 formly smaller than the other three pairs. Another individual, the last 

 instance mentioned of monstrosities in the number of arms, has thirteen, 

 which arise from six pelvic plates, six costals, and six scapulars, one of 

 these latter sending off three arms. 



The author has obsei'ved two circumstances which induce him to be- 

 lieve it probable that Miller might be correct in his surmise that the 

 animals were soft when living : — 1, when two portions of vertebral co- 



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