40 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 'J2 



former when well preserved are sometimes sold as curios, while the 

 latter, always meet with a ready sale at extraordinarily high prices on 

 account of their rarity combined with their paleontological interest. 



In China comatulids are sometimes offered for sale which have been 

 brought from a considerable distance. 



At Barbados the local species of Isocrinus, especially /. asteria, and 

 Holopus rangii, are occasionally to be found in the curio shops. 



Among the Slavic peoples red is the color about which all their 

 abstract ideas of beauty, and hence of idealism, revolve. The delicate 

 and often gorgeously colored red Adriatic Feather-Star (Antedon 

 adriatica) occurs more or less abundantly along the coasts of the 

 largely Slavic provinces of Istria and Dalmatia where it is frequently 

 found in the fishermen's nets and is sometimes brought up on their 

 hooks. Its beauty of form, and particularly its red color, especially 

 commend it to the local fishermen, who commonly take it to market 

 and exhibit it along with the fish offered for sale. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES 



PLATE I 



Fig. I. A Feather-Star {Antedon adriatica) with the terminology of its 

 parts explained. 



2. Lateral view of the centrodorsal and articular faces of the radials of 



of a Feather-Star (Himerometra martensi) with the terminology 

 of its parts explained. Fossil Feather-Stars usually consist of 

 this portion of the animal only. 



3. The same, in ventral view. 



4. The naked incised disc of Ccnometra bcUa with the terminology of 



its parts explained. 



5. The plated entire disc of Ncomctra multicolor with the terminology 



of its parts explained. 



6. Lateral view of the centrodorsal and articular faces of the radials 



of P entametrocrinus japonicus. 



7. Longitudinal section of the same. 



8. Ventral view of the same (compare with fig. 3). 



9. The dorsal nervous system of Tropiomctra macrodiscus. 



10. The proximal portion of Nanometra bowersi showing the differ- 



ence between the large cirri about the periphery of the centro- 

 dorsal and the small one near its apex. 



11. Dorsal view of the centrodorsal, radials and arm bases of a specimen 



of Comattila rotalaria showing the centrodorsal reduced to a 

 stellate plate. 



12. The disc of a specimen of Comatula micrastcr with four grooved 



and six ungrooved arms. 



13. TJie ambulacral grooves and the digestive tube of Antedon bifida 



(adapted from P. H. Carpenter). 



14. The arm tip of Pteroinetra trichopoda. 



