250 Prof. J. Miiller on the Structure of the Echinoderms. 



2. Protocrinites (P. oviformis, Eichw.). 



3. Sphceronites Leuchtenbergii, Volb. Type of a peculiar genus, 

 which may be teraied Ghjptospharites. That the Russian Sphce- 

 ronites pomum, Leuchtenb., or S. Leuchtenbergii, Volb., is not 

 the Swedish ;S^. pomum, Volborth thought probable from Gyl- 

 lenhaFs account. The specimens of the Swedish form in the 

 Mineralogical Museum of this place put this beyond doubt. 

 There are no calycine grooves on the true Sphceronites pomum, 

 His. ; on the other hand, the five outermost calycine plates are 

 elevated into a triangular pyramid truncated at the mouth, as in 

 Echinosphcerites aurantium ; the edges of the pyramid are broken 

 off in all the specimens, and leave a doubt as to the form of the 

 arms which were probably present. The base of the calyx is 

 transversely truncated, and very broad in relation to the diameter 

 of the calyx ; it consists of 6-7 pieces. 



The relation of a few other Diploporitidce to these genera is 

 still unknown. Many of the Cystideans described by Forbes, 

 and enumerated by him among the Caryocystites, viz. C. Litchii 

 (F.), C. pyriformis (F.), C. munitus (F.), do not belong to the 

 genus Caryocystites (Von Buch), being rather Diploporitidce 

 allied to Sphceronites pomum, which require further investigation. 



Crinoids with reticulated hands. — A fossil Crinoid with reticu- 

 lated hands from Gothland has long been recognized as such in 

 Stockholm, but has not yet been figured and described. Many 

 years ago Prof. A. Retzius transmitted fragments of the hands 

 to me, at the same time pointing out the peculiarity of this Cri- 

 noid. Numerous dichotomously-ramifying series of joints are 

 united into a petaloid form by lateral processes of the joints. I 

 had never seen anything of the kind, and could hardly imagine 

 them to be portions of a Crinoid. 



On mentioning these fragments to Von Buch, he recollected 

 that similar equally problematical fragments from Gothland were 

 in his own possession. We brought them upon the same day 

 to the Gesellschaft Naturforsch. Freunde, and it was evident 

 at once that they were identical. Von Buch, with the friendship 

 which he has always shown, readily offered to share with me the 

 specimens which he possessed. I was obliged however to renounce 

 the attempt to elucidate the nature of the animal from such por- 

 tions as I possessed without the calyx ; and I entertain a thorough 

 aversion for the practice of hastily naming, which inflicts upon 

 science an encumbrance out of all proportion to the possible 

 gain therefrom. I gave over the fragments which I had received 

 to the Mineralogical Museum, as the most proper place for their 

 reception. In this museum there were also additional fragments 

 of this Crinoid from Gothland, sent to me by M. Beyrich. 



When M. Peters visited Stockholm in the spring of the pre- 



