. VII. OF RELIQUIA. 211 



The description must primarily refer to the ori- 

 ginal of the reliqiiium, as no just or perfect deline- 

 ation of the species can be given, until the nature of 

 its prototype be ascertained. 



have arranged them, for the present, as now stated, (v. P. II. 

 Gen. HELMINTH, fam. Sty last rii<e. *** Anthoccphulitx.) 



The genus Stylastrum should be placed, in a natural distribu- 

 tion of the Vermes, near Asterias, with which it undoubtedly 

 agrees in many essential characters. In the artificial arrangement 

 of the class, adopted by Linnaeus, its situation, of course, will be 

 in the order Zoo-phyla, between Vorticetta and Hydra, or be- 

 tween Hydra and Pennatula. With the first of these genera 

 it agrees somewhat in its general form; with Pennatula it is 

 connected by a species of zoophyte, which Linnanis, at first, con- 

 sidered as an Isis, and afterwards as a Vorticella; but which 

 Bohadsch, Ellis, Pallas, and Gmelin, have arranged with the 

 Pennatulte, or sea-pens. The animal alluded to, is the Vorti- 

 ceUa Encrinus, Syst. Nat. Ed. 12. The Pennatula Encrinus 

 of the last Ed. of the Systema. This zoophyte, however, is dis- 

 tinguished from Stylastra by its compound, clustered head or 

 body, and its stein being destitute of joints It is sometimes 

 found fossil ; and, as it most undoubtedly does not belong to any 

 genus in which it has yet been placed, we have arranged it in a 

 distinct family, after the Sty last r it te, under the title Encrinites. 



Respecting the term Encrinites, we must observe it is a name 

 that has been indifferently applied to Entrochitfi-, Pentacrinitte, 

 and the fossil to which we have appropriated it, whenever the body or 

 head of these reliquia has occurred in a closed or contracted state, 

 so as to resemble, in some respects, the flower (the Lilv) to \\lwYh 

 the name has reference. In the Linnean system, Encrinus is 

 used as the trivial appellation of the animal from which on. 

 originates Hence we have exclusively employed it as the name of 

 the family in wlu'ch this fossil (the only known species) is placed. 



