FOSSIL INVERTEBRATED ANIMALS. 511 



gous to the stratum of Grignon, which we have mentioned 

 before in this sketch. These articulations, however, seem to 

 differ in nothing from those of the ancient strata, except in 

 their white colour, and a certain degree of transparency. 



There are articulations, with five corners or points, of all 

 sizes, but the diameter of the largest scarcely ever exceeds five 

 lines ; and although, from analogy, we might be led to believe 

 that the stems, on which they depended, were adherent on 

 other bodies, like the round ones, still there appears no decided 

 fact in proof of this opinion. 



At Charmouth, and at Dudley, has been found a species of 

 encrinus (ramosus). On a five-fronted stem is found a head, 

 which is divided into a prodigious number of branches, com- 

 posed of an innumerable quantity of calcareous articulations, 

 of a different form from that of the stem. In the flattened 

 state in which these heads are found, they are sometimes nine 

 inches long and of an equal diameter. 



Hiemer has given the description of an encrinus of this spe- 

 cies, found in the duchy of Wirtemburg, near Dombde, on a 

 slate stone, about four feet high and more than three in width. 

 This piece is composed of a great number of calcareous or arti- 

 culated stems, ofa considerable length, which grow in different 

 directions, and have, each at their summit, a sort of pencil, 

 formed by an assemblage of articulated branches. 



Guettard has stated that the stem of encrini commences by 

 being round in the lower part, and terminates in five fronts or 

 corners ; but there seems to be no proof whatever of the gene- 

 rality of a fact of this kind. The same author adds, that en- 

 crini are to be found with four rays and several corollas on the 

 same stem. Hserembert tells us that certain species have five 

 or six rays, or little branches. Schulz describes some with 

 eight rays and a square basis ; and others with twenty rays. 

 Rosinus mentions some with twelve rays and an hexagonal 

 basis ; and Scheuchzer has figured encrinites whose rays are 



