206 Dr. F. A. Bather— A Cvinold from the Red Crag. 



several worn specimens of Pentacrimis during his Oakley (Waltonian 

 Zone, Red Ci'ag) sifting. These he believes to be derivative in the 

 Crag. I agree with him and "svith Dr. Bather in thinking this new 

 specimen to be probably derivative also." 



In all British Tertiary rocks crinoids are rare, some four or five 

 species being known from the London Clay, but none from any of the 

 later rocks. The Red Crag is one of the last formations in which one 

 would expect to find a stalked crinoid, but it is of course probable 

 that the fossil is derived from some older rock. The specimen is 

 further interesting from the fact that it does not appear to agree with 

 the remains of any species (one might almost say any genus) hitherto 

 described, whether from rocks of corresponding Middle Pliocene age 

 in other parts of the world, from Tertiary rocks in general, or from 

 those Cretaceous rocks whence it may have been derived. 



The fossil, which at first sight looks like a single columnal, appears 

 on closer examination to comprise remains of the cup. Unfortunately 

 its upper half is somewhat worn ; the sides also are disfigured, both 

 in the upper and lower half, by a few pittings, probably due to some 

 boring organism ; and the whole is covered with the glaze or patina 

 so common in Red Crag fossils. 



The shape is roughly that of a squat, swollen barrel, the upper and 

 lower ends being approximately circular, though not quite parallel. 

 The greatest height is 5'5 mm. ; greatest equatorial diameter, 6-9 mm.; 

 least equatorial diameter, 6"75 mm. ; diameter of the articular face at 

 the lower end, about 4-4 mm. The upper half is separated from the 

 lower by a slight step (not a distinct ridge) approximately corre- 

 sponding with the equator, but with five slight equal curves, concave 

 towards the worn face. Apart from this feature, which may be 

 largely the result of weathering, the curvature of the sides is equable 

 and their surface is smooth, except for some almost imperceptible 

 traces of pustules, more visible on the less worn half. 



More obvious pustules surround the articular face of the lower half, 

 and seem to form an obscurely pentagonal border, having the angles of 

 the pentagon corresponding with the cusps between the curves of the 

 step already mentioned. The pustules are unequal in size, and the 

 larger ones tend to be situate at the angles, an arrangement that 

 enhances the pentagonal appearance. Within this border the articular 

 face is concave, rising again slightly towards the centre so as to form 

 a faint swelling round the axial canal. This canal has so irregular an 

 outline that one cannot say whether it was slightly pentagonal, or 

 elliptical, or merely circular. In any case there is no trace of a fulcral 

 ridge. The greatest diameter of the axial canal is, very roughly, 

 about 1 mm. (Fig. 3). 



The five curves ol: the equatorial step or rebate were intensified by 

 iron staining, but on washing this away, there became visible traces 

 of sutures following the curves. These were more clearly seen with 

 the aid of glycerine and alcohol, and traces of vertical sutures could 

 also be detected rising upwards from the cusps. These sutures are 

 very difficult to see, but they are enough to show that the upper half 

 of this fossil consists of five elements, and this affords the only rational 

 explanation of the peculiar weathering. These elements must have 



