MARSUPITES. 
113 
Org. Rem.') and that is unlike the fossil in ques- 
tion. 
MARSUPITES. 
This genus was formed by the author for the 
reception of a fossil that had previously been placed 
among the encrinites, from which, however, it 
differs most essentially, in being destitute of a 
vertebral column, and processes of attachment ; 
hence it is obvious, that the recent animal, instead 
of being fixed to one spot, was capable of loco- 
motion, and floated ad libitum, like the Medusic 
and some other zoophytes. 
Mr. Parkinson, the publication of whose work, on 
the Organic Remains of a former TRorld, formed 
an important era in oryctological science, was the 
first author that accurately noticed this zoophyte. 
In his 2d vol. an admirable description is given 
of the pelvis of the animal, under the name of 
tortoise encrinite ; and the structure of the original 
has since been ably illustrated by the ingenious 
author of The Natural History of the Crinoidea, 
who has adopted the the name by which I have 
been accustomed to distinguish it. 
The following definition is the result of an at- 
tentive examination of more than a hundred spe- 
cimens ; but as the recent animal is unknown, and 
the fossils never occur in a perfect state, it is very 
probable that some of the characters which are 
here assumed as permanent distinctions, may 
hereafter prove to be only accidental varieties of 
form. 
I 
