140 MANUAL OP ZOOLOGY. 



supposed to be Cystideans have been described from the Devo- 

 nian Rocks, but their true nature is doubtful. 



4. ASTEROID E A. These have a very long range in time, ex- 

 tending from the Lower Silurian period up to the present day. 

 In the Silurian Rocks the genera Palceaster, Stenaster, Palceo- 

 discus and Petraster are among the more important, the greater 

 number of forms being Upper Silurian. The next period in 

 which star-fishes abound is the Oolitic (Mesozoic) ; the more 

 important genera being Uraster, Luidia, Astropecten, Plumasttr 

 and Goniaster, some of which have survived to the present 

 day. Many star-fishes occur, also, in the Cretaceous Rocks, 

 the genera Oreast&r, Goniodiscus and Astrogonium being among 

 the more noticeable. In the Tertiary Rocks few star-fishes 

 are known to occur, but Goniaster and Astropecten are repre- 

 sented in the London Clay (Eocene). 



5. OPHIUROIDEA. The ' brittle- stars ' are represented in the 

 Silurian Rocks by the single genus Protaster. In the Oolitic, 

 Cretaceous, and Tertiary Rocks several genera of Ophiuroidea 

 are known ; some being extinct, whilst others (such as Opliio- 

 derma, Ophiolepis, and Ophiocoma) still survive at the present 

 day. 



6. ECHINOIDEA. This order is represented in the Palaeozoic 

 Rocks by a single aberrant family ; but it is numerously repre- 

 sented in the Mesozoic and Kainozoic periods. 



For the Palaeozoic Echinoidea the formation of a separate 

 sub-order has been proposed by Professor M'Coy under the 

 name of Perischoechinidce ; since they differ in some funda- 

 mental points from all the other known members of the 

 order. They are composed of more than twenty rows of calca- 

 reous plates, divided into five ambulacral and five inter-ambu- 

 lacral areas. The five ambulacra are continuous from pole to 

 pole, and are surmounted dorsally by the ocular plates. The 

 five inter- ambulacra are composed, each, of three, five, or 

 more rows of plates, and are surmounted dorsally by the ova- 

 rian plates. The two genera Archceocidaris and Palcechinus 

 comprise all the known forms of the family, the former being 

 entirely confined to the Carboniferous Limestone, whilst the 

 latter occurs also in the Upper Silurians. 



The Secondary and Tertiary Echinoidea resemble those now 

 living in being composed of not more than twenfcy rows of 

 calcareous plates. The Oolitic and Cretaceous Rocks are 

 especially rich in forms belonging to this order, many genera 

 being peculiar ; but the number of forms is too great to permit 

 of any selection. 



7. HOLOTHUROIDEA. This order, comprising, as it does, soft- 

 bodied animals, can hardly be said to be known as occurring 



