Abnormal Growth of a Damaged Horn 449 



our British coast, and may reward the search of any one 

 visiting our southern shores, especially those of Ireland. In 

 that instance the animal is very small (quarter of inch long), 

 and is fixed on a stalk only during its youth. After a while 

 its stalk withers and breaks, and the " lily " swims away as a 

 well-developed " Feather star-fish." It was, in its first state, 

 a Pentacriuus, it is now Comatula rosacea. It has still a tendency 

 to cling to stones by the aid of a sort of foot which it has 

 grown. The little discs of which the jointed stem is made 

 up are common as fossils. I show you a box full. If you 

 find the word encrinite too long for daily use you may call 

 them crinoids, which comes to the same thing. We have 

 many other specimens in the Museum showing encrinites in 

 different stages and conditions. Many encrinites probably 

 date from the Jurassic or Carboniferous ages. They abound 

 also in the Oolite and Lias. One of the largest of existing 

 species is known as the Caput Medusa, on account of its 

 long slender arms. Krinon is Greek for lily, and a very 

 similar word is Latin for hair, and it is a little doubtful as 

 to which is the root of the name encrinite. 



ABNORMAL GROWTH OF A DAMAGED HORN. 



The appended illustration gives a very graphic exemplifica- 

 tion of contortion from want of support. It may be assumed 

 that the under part of the left horn had been injured near to 

 the skull, possibly by a bullet. The continued growth of the 

 upper two-thirds, uncontrolled by corresponding growth of the 

 under third, has had the result of pushing over the horn in 

 a downward curve. The weight of the horn, for it was pro- 

 bably of considerable growth before the injury was inflicted, 

 may have had some influence in determining the downward 

 direction. The cruel result has been a complete closure* 

 of the mouth, the lower jaw being firmly locked against the 

 upper. 



