380 Mr. Webster on some new Varieties of Fossil Alcyofiia. 



stupendous and difficultly accessible masses of rock lying under the 

 romantic cliffs of Western lines that I observed the singular parts of 

 these organic beings which I shall now mention. 



In this place I not only met with the stems above described in 

 great abundance and perfection, but also having frequently attached 

 to them heads or bulbous terminations, in form somewhat resem- 

 bling a closed lily or rather tulip, PI. 28, fig. 3. These, like the 

 stems, although sufficiently distinct as to the general shape, were 

 commonly so wasted by the weather, that good specimens were 

 exceedingly rare. In some I found the distinct traces of organic 

 structure. 



All these heads possessed nearly the same form, but varied In 

 length from five or six inches to half an inch ; and I think it pos- 

 sible they may belong to several varieties of the same species, some 

 differences being observable among them. 



PI. 28, fig. 4. & 5. are the heads attached to the branches so much 

 resembling the parts of trees. In these the cortical part is often 

 equally evident in the head as in the stem ; but being in soft sand- 

 stone I could very seldom observe the organization. I remarked 

 that some of the stems had also tumid parts not unlike the bulbous 

 terminations. PI. 28, fig. 6. 



Heads similar in shape, but generally much smaller, were at- 

 tached to the smooth cylinders in the limestone ; and in these the 

 cortical part was scarcely visible ; whilst certain lines on the sides 

 sometimes gave the appearance of petals, PI. 28, fig. 7, 8, 9. On 

 breaking them, slender tubes were seen passing through in a lon- 

 gitudinal direction ; and one specimen displayed the internal struc- 

 ture very distinctly, fig. 10. From this it appeared, that these 

 heads consisted of a group of tubuli now converted into and en- 

 veloped with stony matter ; and in some of the specimens, as fig. 11. 



