By Mr. Cunnington, F.G.S. 



7 



and five superior plates, each of the latter being provided with two 

 articulating surfaces from which sprung the arms or fingers. These 

 were ten in number, and were fringed on both sides with rows of 

 minute tentacula, formed of a vast number of small joints or bones, 

 constituting altogether a beautiful star-shaped net, capable of con- 

 tracting and folding in, so as to bring its prey within reach of the 

 mouth. The mouth was conveniently situated, just within the base 

 of the arms, so as to receive the Animalcules, &c, on which it fed. 



The late Mr. Channing Pearce of this town, who possessed a most 

 remarkable series of these fossils, succeeded in obtaining specimens 

 having some of their fingers and tentacula preserved even to their 

 most minute joints. As many of the Apiocrinites are found lying 

 prostrate on the clay, he concluded that the fingers on the upper 

 side would as they decomposed, be carried away by the action of 

 the waves, whilst those on the under side would by sinking into 

 the clay be protected, and remain uninjured. He very ingeniously 

 proved the correctness of his views by casting plaster of Paris on 

 some specimens as they lay in the quarry, thus forming a solid bed 

 for the upper surface, and then turning them over, he carefully 

 washed off the clay, and found the arms perfect as he had antici- 

 pated. The entire structure of these delicate organs was thus 

 fully demonstrated. 



The stem of the Apiocrinus contained about 150 joints, the body 

 about 50, and the arms and tentacles together about 8000, forming 

 a total of no fewer than 8200 bones in the complete animal. The 

 more perfectly preserved specimens often retain a pink or light 

 purple tinge, doubtless the remains of their original colour. 



The period during which the Apiocrinites flourished in such 

 great profusion, was comparatively short, as their remains are 

 principally confined to a few inches only in depth on the surface 

 of the Oolite. 



Sir Charles Lyell in his Manual of Geology, speaks of a sudden 

 irruption of water charged with mud, which broke the stone lilies 

 short off near the roots : but I would suggest another cause for 

 their partial destruction, to which I believe Sir Charles himself 

 would not object. As proved by Mr. Pearce, the Apiocrinites were 



