208 ME. P. H. CABPENTEB OK THE GENUS SOLANOCBINTJS 



while no recent Comatulce are known with a complete basal cir- 

 clet like that of 8. Jaegeri. According to Pictet's proposed clas- 

 sification, therefore, the name originally established by Lamarck 

 for several recent forms without any external basals would have 

 passed to a single fossil specimen that I shall show directly to be 

 the head of a JPentacrinus, and. not a Comatula at all ! 



Schliiter speaks of it as abnormal, and not belonging to the 

 type of S. costatus and 8. scroliculatus, but does not offer any 

 opinion as to its real nature. This, however, is discussed by 

 Quenstedt, though with a singularly unfortunate result. A small 

 specimen from Nattheim was referred by him to this species and. 

 described, with figures, no less than three times. It was first 

 noticed in the ' Petrefactenkunde ' (p. 717), with the remark that 

 the basals were scarcely visible (!), and that the lowest part con- 

 sisted of a large smooth stem-joint (PI. XL fig. 22). His figure 

 (tab. 51. fig. 33) shows no basals between this stem-joint and the 

 radials, although in Goldfuss' s specimen they were quite large 

 (PL XL fig. 24, a, c). . The figure in the ' Jura,' however (tab. 88. 

 fig. 12), shows small points in this position (PI. XL fig. 22 a); 

 while Quenstedt seems to have recognized their want of resem- 

 blance to the basals of Groldfuss's original specimen; for he states 

 (p. 723) that the smooth stem-joint below them had been re- 

 garded by G-oldfuss as composed of five anchylosed basals. The 

 figure given in the ' Jura ' is reproduced in the ' Encriniden ' 

 (tab. 96. fig. 51), with the remark, " Zwar weicht die Gfoldfuss'che 

 Zeichnung vielleicht nicht unwesentlich ab, allein die Hilfsarme 

 fehlen ihr auch, und das geniigte mir um nicht immer gleich 

 wieder neue Namen zu schopfen." Quenstedt, therefore, while 

 recognizing the difference between his specimen and the 8. Jae- 

 geri of Goldfuss, seems to have thought the absence of cirrhi from 

 both of them a sufficient reason for not separating them specifi- 

 cally. I shall show, however, that they are not only specifically 

 but also generically different. The distinctive character of Gold- 

 fuss's type was the lateral union of the basals to form a complete 

 ring beneath the radial pentagon. This was especially noticed 

 by him, and fully illustrated by his excellent figures (PL XL 

 fig. 24, a, c), in which the sutures on the outside of the calyx 

 between the individual basals are as distinct as they can well be. 

 The basiradial suture is an obtuse angle, while the radials have 

 a high outer dorsal surface and a high articular face with large 

 muscle-plates, somewhat as in Ant. scrobiculata (PL X. figs. 14, 

 15, 17 o, 18 a), as remarked by Goldfuss. On the other hand, 



