F. A. Bather — On Apiocrinm from the MuscJielkalk. 121 



remains, impossible for anyone to see " le cinque creste salienti," 

 even if they existed. But they do not exist : the proximal columnal 

 is now shown to be incomplete ; it only occupies a portion of the 

 basal surface of the cup, and some of the basals rest, in whole or 

 part, on the columnal next following. 



Between the fourth and fifth columnals is an intercalated ossicle, 

 which may be a fresh columnal in the early stages of development. 

 It appears, however, as though growth of the stem, by the inter- 

 calation of coluinnals, was effected chiefly below the level of the 

 cone; the 15th and 20th columnals of this stem are such freshly 

 formed ossicles. 



Ill the cone and proximal region of the stem, all the columnals 

 are relatively low ; but towards the distal end of the portion 

 preserved they increase in height, so that the 4:5th is rather higher 

 than wide. 



The columnals are stated by Dr. Crema to be " coperti nelle 

 faccie articolari da fine strie raggiate." What articular surface was 

 seen by Dr. Crema I cannot make out from the specimen ; nor does 

 it appear to me that the suture-lines, as seen in the normal position 

 of the specimen, yield any evidence for the presence of radiating 

 striae. As a matter of fact the only articular surface that I was 

 able to expose, namely the proximal surface of the 44th columnal 

 (see Fig. 2), appeared under the microscope perfectly smooth. It 

 should further be noted that it was elliptical in section, perhaps 

 owing to compression after death, so that the actual diameter of the 

 stem would have been about '37 mm., instead of '5 as it appears. 



The 4Bth columnal, the last preserved, is rounded at its distal 

 end. This may be due to the weathering of the fossil, or may 

 indicate that the animal freed itself from its attachment while living, 

 as in the classical instance of Millericrium Pratti, so well described 

 by P. H. Carpenter (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, vol. xxxviii, p. 29, 

 Feb. 1882). 



We have now to consider to what genus this crinoid belongs. 



The genera as yet recorded from the Muschelkalk, and indeed 

 from the Trias generally, are Encrinus, Hohcriniis, Dadocrinus, and 

 some columnals doubtfully referred to Peutacrinus. The fragments 

 to which other names have been assigned by various authors are 

 probably all to be referred to one or other of these genera, except 

 when they are not crinoids at all. Examination of the type- 

 specimen (Brit. Mus. 75,861) of Flahellocrinus cassianus, Klipstein 

 (" Beitr. z. geoL Kenntniss d. ostl. Alpen," p. 277; 1845), proves it 

 to be an Fjncrinus not far removed from E. cassianus, Laube (1865). 

 Traumatocrinus, Wohrmann ("Die Fauna d. sog. Cardita- und Kaibler- 

 Schichten, u.s.w.," Jahrb. geol. Reichsanst. Wien, xxxix, p. 190 ; 

 1889), which has for type Forocrinus caudex, Dittmar (" Zur Fauna 

 d. Hallstadter Kalke, u.s.w.," Geognost.-palaeont. Beitr. I, Heft iib, 

 p. o94; 1866 : non Forocrinus, E. Billings), is based only on colum- 

 nals which do not differ greatly from some of Encrinus. I am 

 indebted to Dr. Emil Bose, in Carlsruhe, for the references to this 



