FOSSIL FAUNA. 125 



PLATE LIII. 



Fossil Star- Fishes and Echini. 



The radiated animals popularly called Star-fishes, from their stellular figure, are so 

 abundant along our sea shores, that the nature of the common five-rayed species {Asterias, or 

 Ur aster rubensY must be familiar to most of my readers. This species belongs to the group in 

 which the rays are elongated, and far exceed in length the diameter of the disk ; in another sub- 

 division (the Goniaster, or Cushion-star), the body is angular, and the lobes or rays are short, and 

 do not exceed in length the diameter of the body. In another group (the Comatula, or Feather- 

 star), the rays are fringed with long jointed tentacula, which divide and subdivide like those of 

 the Crinoidea ; and these star-fishes may, in fact, be regarded as free Lily-shaped animals.^ 

 There is another tribe in which the arms ai-e elongated into slender rays, without grooves or 

 tentacula ; these are called the Serpent Star-fishes {Opiiiurd). Species of all these groups occur 

 in a fossil state.^ 



Fig. 1. " Part of a fossil lunated star from the chalk of Kent." — Mr. Parkinson. {Goniaster semi- 

 lunata, of Parkinson ; Goniaster Parkinsoni, of Prof. E. Forbes) . Remains of Star- 

 fishes are by no means rare in the chalk strata of Kent ; in those of Sussex they are 

 far less common. When the "Fossils of the South Downs" was published, in 1822, 

 a few fragments only had been discovered. Of late years, some beautiful examples 

 have been obtained from the chalk-pits near Arundel and Worthing, by Mr. Dixon, 

 Mr. Coombe, Mrs. Smith, of Tunbridge Wells, and other collectors. The cabinet 

 of the Marquess of Northampton is very rich in this class of fossils. Several unique 

 examples of new species have been obtained from the chalk near Maidstone. 



Fig. 2. " An echinite, from France." — Mr. Parkinson. The locality of this fossil is uncertain ; 

 no similar specimen is known either to Mr. Morris, or the other eminent palaeonto- 

 logists I have consulted ; and the original cannot be discovered. I have reason to 

 believe it was purchased, after Mr. Parkinson's death, together with the greater 

 number of the fossils already described, by an American gentleman, and taken to the 

 United States. 



Fig. 3. " Part of a stellite or fossil star-fish, resembling Pentagonaster regular is.'" — Mr. 

 Parkinson. This well-known chalk species [Goniaster Mantelli, of Prof. E. Forbes), 

 occurs frequently in an imperfect state in the quarries near Gravesend. The collec- 

 tion of the Marquess of Northampton contains a perfect and exquisite specimen 

 attached to a flint, from that locality. 



Fig. 4. A beautiful example of the Turban Echinite [Gidaris Parkinsoni, of Dr. Fleming), from 

 Wiltshire. 



I See Professor Porbes's delightful " History of the British Star-Fishes." 



- In the young state the Comatulae have a jointed stem, and are attached to other bodies ; being in this stage true 

 Criuoideana. 



' Medals of Creation, p. 332. 



