PREFACE. VII 



Greek KPINOS, a lily ; prefixing for the name of each genus another 

 descriptive term from the same language ; thus hoping to produce an 

 association of ideas which a simple generic appellation could not 

 have conveyed, and which might become more readily impressed on 

 the memory of the student. 



I still, however, regret that it was not possible for me to avail 

 myself of the very appropriate name Stylastritae (from rnrAOE, a 

 column, and ASTPON, a star, i. e. a stellated animal, supported on a 

 column) proposed by Mr. MARTIN (the author of a work on the 

 fossils of Derbyshire) in his outlines on the knowledge of extraneous 

 fossils. This name happily describes not only the general resemblance, 

 but also the place which this family should occupy in the natural 

 arrangement of organized beings ; but being a compound term, would 

 not have conveniently entered into any further combinations, and 

 therefore would have failed in the object above specified. I cannot 

 however pass it over without notice. 



I have avoided imposing names on imperfect fragments which did 

 not yield a clearly distinct specific character, since this would only 

 have uselessly swelled the already voluminous nomenclature of 

 natural history. 



The anatomical descriptions are, in every instance, drawn up from 

 actual and minute examination ; and it has been highly satisfactory 

 to me, to have been able to verify and confirm the results obtained 

 from the examination of fossil species, by comparison with the recent 

 Pentacrinus, and to have found myself materially assisted by the 

 analogies thus afforded, in investigating the allied genera Marsupites 

 and Comatula. 



As a native of the once free Hanseatic town of Dantzig, I felt 

 myself long embarrassed by that imperfect knowledge of the p'eculiar 

 idiomatic forms of English composition, which must be supposed 



