388 



J. E. Lee — On an English Cupressocnmts, 



limestone, in which, they are probably equally abundant, they are 

 much more difficult to be distinguished. 



The stems and joints of this genus are so very well marked that 

 almost the smallest fragment cannot be mistaken. Both the larger 

 and smaller stems are subquadrangular, with a larger central per- 

 foration surrounded by four smaller ones. In the specimens found 

 in this quarry most of them are in the shape of casts ; the fossil 

 itself having entirely disappeared, and the perforations, and in some 

 cases the divisions of the joints, having been subsequently filled 

 up, the effect is frequently like that of a Norman pillar with small 

 pillars clustered round it, the thin plates representing the divisions 

 of the joints, looking like the layers of mortar between the beds of 

 tooled stone in the Norman pillar. (See Woodcut, Figs. 3a and 3&). 



In some rare cases there are five pillars clustered round the large 

 one instead of four, though the stem is still of rather a square form. 

 These specimens are considered by Quenstedt to belong to a distinct 

 species, which he calls Cup. pentamerus (Handbuch der Petrefakten- 

 kunde, page 747, plate 71, figs. 14 and 15) ; probably, however, it 

 may be only a variety. 



Besides these stems and joints, three or four fossils were found 

 associated with them in the same quarry, which at first sight seemed 

 to be of very different character, but which may probably be portions 

 of the heads of Cupressocrmus. They are figured upon the accom- 

 panying Woodcut, (See Figs, 1 and 2.) 



Figs. 1 and 2. Crinoidal remains associated with 

 Figs. 3a and 36, casts of the stems of Cupressocrinus, 



These fossils are not remarkable either for size or beauty ; but, as 

 they are decidedly very characteristic of the Devonian formation, and 

 have hitherto been considered rare in England, it may be desirable 

 to record their occurrence. In a small specimen of the rock not 

 three inches long there are five well-marked examples very dis- 

 tinctly shown. 



