Carboniferous Limestone of Innerteil, near KirTccaldy. 149 



As far as can be ascertained by microscopical observation, the 

 structure of this animal has been of the most simple description ; 

 and probably it was attached, for security, to some solid heavy 

 substance, as a stone or shell ; and also from the analogy of 

 some species of Actinia and Hydra, we may conjecture it to 

 have possessed a retractile po^\er; and, under certain circum- 

 stances, it might occasionally have presented merely a very 

 shortened nacrous stem, or fasciculus of branches. 



Probably, too, this zoophyte may be so far interesting to the 

 general naturalist, as offering another link of connexion in the 

 vast chain of nature ; and may be that which runs between the 

 jointed Crinoidese and the Porous Corals, or between them and 

 the Annulosa. 



References to the Drawing. 



A, The Stem. 



B, The Side-arm, in botanical language, arising decurrent from the stem. 



C, An imperfect stem, bifurcated from the first division, under which the 

 stem A passes, and is lost in the mass. 



D, Section of an encrinite. 



