30 
THE GEOLOGIST. 
ther the joints of the body or column are taken into tliis calcu- 
lation^ and as the rays themselves are somewhat crushed toge- 
ther^ and the ends broken off, while the number of the branches 
increase as the rays lengthen, it is possible that this number is 
much underrated, and that the skeleton of the animal, when 
alive, consisted of upwards of 20,000 joints. "\'\Tien it is re- 
membered too, that each joint, judging from analogy, must 
have had two muscles at least, probably four, the extraordinary 
number and delicacy of the several parts, and the wonderful 
adaptation of each to accomplish the intention of the Great 
Author of all things, even in providing for an animal so low in 
the scale of creation^ must call forth our unmingled admiration 
and praise. 
It is almost impossible to form an adequate conception of the 
extreme beauty of appearance which this encrinite must have 
possessed in its living state. If however, the curators are right 
in presuming that the column which is connected with this spe- 
cimen really belonged to it, and which in all probability it did, 
as it was found lying in the same bed, and very near to it, some 
idea may be formed of its imposing appearance. Rising from 
the top of a long flexible column, possessing an immense number 
of joints, we must imagine an almost perfectly globular cup, 
composed of a number of plates, each marked with delicate flu- 
tings. From the upper margin of these plates swells out the 
beautiful net-like tissue, formed by the innumerable subdivisions 
of the rays and their branches, the whole spreading into a mag- 
nificeut cup or bowl, upwards of eight or nine inches in "«ddth 
at its upper surface, endowed with the most exquisite flexibility, 
and during the periods of the animaFs activity, in a constantly 
undulating motion. 
The discovery of one specimen of a new species is generally 
followed by that of many others, for it stimulates collectors to a 
more zealous search, and points out the line in which such 
search will most probably meet with success. Thus, only a few 
