1864.] DR. J. E. GRAY ON MYRIOSTEON HIGGINSII. 165 
the trustees of the Derby Museum at Liverpool, well known for his 
attachment to science. 
I was soon convinced that the specimen was not the tail of a Ray, 
nor indeed any part of a vertebrated, annulose, or molluscous animal, 
so that it must belong to the radiated groups; and the question is 
to which part of the group it is most nearly allied. 
The formation of the external skeleton and the general form of the 
parts which alone have as yet been examined lead me to believe that 
it is the part of an Echinoderm, being probably the single ray of a 
radiated body. The structure of the external skeleton resembles more 
closely that of one of the more tessellated forms of the cylindrical- 
rayed Starfish than that of any other animal that has occurred to me ; 
but it differs from the arms of these animals in not being provided with 
regular ambulacra, which is the essential character of the Starfish. 
I am therefore induced to believe that the specimen may indicate 
a new group of radiated animals, nearly allied to Asterias. It 
appears to be much more rigid than the Starfish are in general ; and 
it will at any rate form a new family, for which the name of Myrio- 
steide may be given. 
I do not recollect to have seen any fossil that has any resemblance 
to the specimen, or to the separate parts of it. 
The ossicles differ also from those of Asterias in not being covered 
with granules, and from the Asteriade and Echinide in not being 
provided with spines on moveable joints. 
The lateral edges of the flat portion of the specimen are more or 
less distinctly marked, and in some places, especially near the small 
end, are raised up into an irregular margin, formed by irregularities 
on the surface of the ossicles, which at these places are more or 
less confused together. 
The centre of the upper part of the smaller end of the specimen 
is marked with scattered concavities, which appear as if formed by 
its having been attached to some shell or other more or less convex 
surface. These concavities are produced by the flattening of the 
surface of the ossicles of the part. They may have been produced by 
parasites which have affixed themselves to the surface of the speci- 
men, or by the specimen itself having been attached by the end of 
this part of the body to some fixed body. The pores on the back 
are more symmetrical and equal near the end of the arm, and those 
Magnified figure of the under surface, showing the large pores placed in hexagons. 
