#. B. Meek—Fossils of the Illinois Geological Report. 3878 
These little openings have often attracted my attention; and, 
although once inclined to attach more importance to them, at 
the time our remarks on the structure of the Paleozoic crinoids 
were written, I could not feel quite satisfied that they might 
not have been for the attachment of the inner pinnule of that 
side of each arm-base where they occur, and concluded to wait 
until their true nature could be more clearly determined, before 
calling attention to them. Mr. Wachsmuth subsequently assured 
me, however, that, after examining a great number of specimens 
in every condition of preservation, he has never seen any evi- 
dence of the connection of pinnules with these openings ; and 
consequently he suggested that they may correspond to the so- 
called ovarian apertures of the Blastoidea ;* a conclusion that 
seems to derive support from the following additional fact. 
That is, that on tracing these openings through the wall of the 
body, they do not, so far as my observations have gone, appear 
to take the direction that would indicate any immediate con- 
nection with the ambulacra, but, on the contrary, turn more 
Cownward, increasing in size as they pass in, thus appearing as 
if they might have connected with some internal cavity, or 
that, in the Paleozoic types, as in the recent Comatula, the 
along the ambulacral canals, to an internal mouth or eso hageal 
Opening, situated under the center of the vault; w : 
Single opening of the vault, always located at some point 
behind the center of radiation, whether simple or passing 
* F ae ni in Actinocrinttes, in some 
of his frtorl nit T ba Bepeeroryrec ype oven 77 time), after receiving 
Specimens from Mr. th, with the same suggestions from the latter gentle- 
man in regard to their nature. 
