SILURIAN ENCRINITES. 



671 



my readers to Goldfuss's beautiful work, in which they will find a detailed account of 

 many Crinoidea of various epochs, some of which doubtless belong to the period of 

 which we treat. 



For my own part, I claim the merit of collecting good specimens, of registering 

 them faithfully and then presenting good portraits of them ; so that a mere comparison 

 of their forms with those of the same class in the Carboniferous System, may suffice to 

 show their distinctness. Yet, after all, as it is of the utmost importance in the esta- 

 blishment of an independent system of deposits, that we should appeal to authors con- 

 versant with each branch of fossils j the following account, contributed by Professor 

 Phillips, must be perused with great interest. 



In the meantime I may state, that Crinoidea are more abundant in the Wenlock for- 

 mation than any other member of the Silurian System ; by far the greater number of 

 the forms described having been found in the limestone of that age near Dudley ; but 

 they also exist in other formations of the system, and are discernible from the upper- 

 most to the lowest strata, and even in the Upper Cambrian Rocks, though usually in 

 fragments. 



ff In assigning names to the following fourteen species of Crinoidea, " says Professor Phillips, 

 ce no additions have been made to the genera previously described, except when a contrary 

 course would have introduced obscurity, if not error. Whenever it has been found possible, by 

 technical characters or general analogy of structure, satisfactorily or even probably to include 

 species in Miller's genera, this has been done ; the new genera proposed must of course be 

 subject to correction by future researches, but the employment of them may serve to give 

 distinctness to our conceptions of the structure of these singular fossils, and prepare the way 

 to a more perfect classification. 

 Cyathocrinites (Miller). 



Cyathocrinites tuberculatus, Miller. {Crinoidea, p. 88.) PI. 18. f. 7« 



Miller's figure is not very satisfactory as to the fingers, which in this specimen are admi- 

 rable. The sutures are beautifully crenulated. The divisions of the pelvis are not traceable. 

 Cyathocrinites tuberculatus, jun., ut supra. PI. 18. f. 6. 



The pelvis in this younger specimen is not clearly divided, but has rather the aspect of a 

 supra-columnar joint. The narrow rings near the pelvis, and the nodular surface of the lower 

 part of the column are interesting points of structure. 

 Cyathocrinites goniodactylus, n. s. Phil. PI. 17. f. 1. 



Pelvic plates tuberculated ; costals and scapulas strongly ridged ; arms and fingers dicho- 

 tomous, externally and laterally angulated, smooth; last divisions of the fingers about 160? 



Column not much larger than the fingers, bearing round branches near the base; columnar 

 joints numerous, prominent in their round, sometimes muricated edges. 



The cuneiform joint at the base of the arms rests immediately on the scapula. 

 Cyathocrinites capillaris, Phil. PI. 17. f. 2. 



Pelvic, costal and scapular plates ridged ; arms and fingers dichotomous, the last divisions 

 very long and capillary, angulated on the sides, round externally, smooth. 



Column formed of many thin alternately prominent joints. The cuneiform joint at the 



4 q 2 



