TAXOCRINUS. 215 



its likeness is very great indeed, both in general appearance and as far as can be 

 seen in the arrangement of the ambulacra. In form, however, it distinctly 

 differs in being still more elongate ; while (though it is not possible to speak 

 positively) it also appears more stellate in the shape of its summit and has wider 

 ambulacra. 



Its similarity to an American species of equivalent age is interesting. 



5. Class— CRINOIDEA, J. 8. Miller, 1821. 



1. Order— FLEXIBILIA, Zittel, 1895. 1 



I. Family — Ichthyocrinid^, Wachsmuth and Springer, 1879. 



1. Genus — Taxocrinus, Phillips (apud Morris), 1843. 2 



1. Taxocrinus macrodactylus, Phillips, sp. Plate XXXIII, figs. 2 — 4 a. 



1841. Cyathocrinus ? (Isocrinus) macrodactylus, Phillips. Pal. Foss., 



pp. 29, 30, pi. xv, figs. 41 a— g. 

 1843. Taxocrinus macrodactylus, Morris. Catal. Brit. Foss., p. 90. 

 1879. — — Wachsmuth and Springer. Proc. Acad. Nat. 



Sci. Philad., 1879, p. 272. 



Description. — Column cylindrical, expanding considerably in the immediate 

 proximity of the cup. Columnars rather short, alternating, becoming gradually 

 very short as their diameter increases, having milled faces, and, as a rule, flat lateral 

 margins, though occasionally at some distance from the cup some joints occur with 

 convex margins. (Under basals unobserved). Basals five, very narrow, triangular. 

 Radials five, very large, transversely quadrate. Primibrachs 5x3 (or some- 

 times 2?), similar to the radials except the uppermost, which is pentagonal 

 and axillary. Secundibrachs 10 X 5, similar to the primibrachs but smaller. 

 Succeeding series of brachials similar but progressively smaller and slightly more 

 numerous in their rows, there being five or six series of brachials in all. Arms 

 uniserial, sometimes curling in at their extremities. No interradials visible. 



Size. — Phillips's type specimen measures 88 mm. from the bottom of the cup to 

 the curled extremities of the arms. 



Localities. — In the Museum of Practical Geology are one of Phillips's type 

 specimens from Pilton and five other specimens from North Devon ; in my 



1 Cf. 1898, F. A. Bather, ' Geol. Mag.,' Decade 4, vol. v, p. 324. 



2 Cf. 1879, Wachsmuth and Springer, ' Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad.,' 1879, p. 270. 



