158 On Cyrtoma, a new genus of Fossil Echini da. 



now represent in India, the fossils which form the proper 

 subject of this paper. They are extremely common along 

 the islands of the Malay coast, where they are called by 

 the natives sepe ka phul, or shell-blossoms ; Europeans, if 

 they observe them at all, call them sea-eggs or sea-hedge- 

 hogs, according as they are found with or without spines 

 of a certain size. The only two specimens for which I am 

 as yet indebted to my European friends, were presented 

 to me by Captain Lloyd, but as they were contained in 

 a bottle with insects which I was desirous of placing in 

 the hands of Mr. MacLeay, I sent them unexamined to 

 that philosopher, who is now prosecuting his researches 

 in New South Wales. They were found by Captain Lloyd 

 on rocks in the Mergui archipelago, where they were said 

 to be very numerous. I have since heard that they are 

 also common on the coast of Rambree island, from which 

 quarter we hope soon to receive specimens; but in case 

 our solicitations have not been sufficiently urgent, we again 

 entreat residents in that quarter to favour us with collections. 

 As yet our observations have been confined to the naked 

 crusts of some seven or eight species which we have been 

 enabled to collect in the shops of dealers, all of them from 

 the quarter above alluded to, except perhaps two contained 

 in the Asiatic Society's collection, which may have come 

 from the coast of New Holland ; the one is an Echinometra,* 

 the other a Scutella, both different from any which I have 

 known to come from the Bay of Bengal. Some Echinida 

 are globular, or spheroidal, others are raised as a parabola 

 from a somewhat flattened base, and some almost entirely 

 flat. Their bodies, which are covered by a shell, are fur- 

 nished with a powerful armature consisting of moveable 

 articulated spines, which surround every part of the body, 

 and serve also as organs of motion, with spiracles, which 

 penetrate in bands through the shell, serving as respiratory 

 organs ; with a mouth and peculiar dental apparatus, with 



* Named ' Echinus' in the cabinet. 



