The FOSSIL REMAINS of this species occur in the lyas near Bristol, at 

 Keynsham, Hengrove, &c. 



Description. 



Through the favour of WM. CLAY FIELD, Esq. I have been enabled to ex- 

 amine the fine specimen once in the possession of the late JAMES (not JOHN as 

 stated erroneously page 11.) TOBIN, Esq. In the drawing it up from the bot- 

 tom of the sea near the Island of Nevis, in the West Indies, the animal has 

 clearly been broken off, leaving its posterior portion behind ; thus we have lost 

 the chance of ascertaining the fact, whether it adhered by a fixed base or had a 

 locomotive power. The same accident has befallen the other recent individuals 

 that have been mentioned when speaking of the locality of this species. How- 

 ever, judging from its analogy to the encrinus moniliformis, from its long 

 column, numerous auxiliary side arms, and the associated manner in which 

 groups of the following species are sometimes found preserved on the surface of 

 a single slab, with the columns all tending towards the same point, as if issuing 

 from a common base, I conceive that this species also adhered by a base to ex- 

 traneous matter. This idea gains some further ground, from all the recent 

 specimens hitherto found having broken abruptly off in the endeavour to re- 

 move them, as not being able to free themselves from the points of adhesion, 

 which certainly would have been the case, had the animal possessed a loco- 

 motive power. This inference acquires additional confirmation from the ob- 

 servations made by the late J. TOBIN, Esq. on another specimen, viz. " Some 

 " years ago I was in possession of a larger pentacrinite, which was brought to 

 " me so fresh out of the sea that at the bottom (where it plainly appeared to 

 " have been broken off from the rock to which it was fixed) the blood* was 

 " actually oozing from the vertebrae. This specimen I endeavoured to pre- 

 " serve, but it was totally destroyed by the ants, who eat every cartilage, so that 

 " it fell to pieces." 



I cannot admit the assertion of WALCH, that the pentacrinite is an animal 

 crawling along the bottom of the sea ; but conceive it to have generally stood 

 more or less erect in its watery element, yielding to the fury of the storm by 

 bending down, and adhering for additional security with its side arms to ex- 

 traneous matter, or closing them to the column, and thus offering the least sur- 

 face possible to the element. The latter is the most probable idea, since I have 



* The fluid in the aliraentarj canal. 



