V. Botryocrinus, 391 



as follows : — R. broad and short ; C. long and slender, x 

 larger than R. ; remaining anal plates united into a stout 

 proboscidiform tube curved at its apex. 



Now a comparison of these diagnoses shows that tiie only 

 point of any importance in which Sicyocrinus differs from 

 Botryocrinus is the branching of the arms. A comparison of 

 the figures shows one other point of difference, viz. the con- 

 crescence of the descending curved apex of the ventral tube 

 with the ascending portion of the tube. That these were the 

 only characters that could distinguish Sicyocrinus from 

 Botryocrinus was recognized in 1879 by Messrs. Wachsmuth 

 and Springer *, and they, rightly regarding them as of small 

 moment, made ISicyocrinus a subgenus of -So^ryocrj'nMs. It is 

 unnecessary to allude further to the descriptions of these 

 genera drawn up by Messrs. Wachsmuth and Springer, for, 

 since they were founded on drawings not of the most reliable 

 character, they could not fail to contain some mistakes. A 

 recent examination of several specimens of Sicyocrinus in the 

 State Museum at Stockholm, including the types, has con- 

 vinced me that S. cucurbitaceus and B. ramosissimus must be 

 considered as belonging to the same genus. This is not the 

 place in which to discuss the matter fully ; but it may be 

 mentioned that the arms of S. cucurbitaceus are in fact essen- 

 tially the same as those of B. ramosissimus ^ while the ventral 

 tube is really far less different than would appear from 

 Angelin's figures. I hope to prove these statements in 

 another paper. 



As the description of Sicyocrinus in the ' Iconographia ' 

 occurs a few lines before that of Botryocrinus, an advocate of 

 strict priority might think that Sicyocrinus should stand as 

 the genus. But Wachsmuth and Springer acted wisely in 

 choosing the more normal Botryocrinus as the main genus, 

 and, as events have shown, with perfect justice, for the 

 characters formerly supposed to differentiate Sicyocrinus do 

 not really exist. 



The transference to the genus Botryocrinus of the species 

 B. cucurbitaceus, and the reference to it of certain undescribed 

 British species, one of which has long been known to collectors 

 of Dudley Crinoids, as well as new facts acquired in a recent 

 examination of the Swedish specimens ; all these things neces- 

 sitate the framing of a new diagnosis and the publication of a 

 more complete and accurate description. 



• \V. & S. Kev. 1. (9Dj, Proc. 1^71), p. 322. 



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