220 
searches, from the officers of the British Museum, and procured a 
drawing from, I believe, the identical specimen described by Mr. 
Beaumont, and which now makes a part of that superb collection. 
The representation of this fossil is at Plate XVII. Fig. 3, where at a 
is shewn the surface which was applied to the superior termination of 
the vertebral column, which supported the pelvis or visceral cavity, 
from which proceed the five hollow arms, each dividing into two, 
whence, I suppose, proceeded the fingers, tentacula, &c. 
To enable me to shew you the grounds of this supposition, I must 
place before you a few other fossils, the examination of which will, 
I trust, lead you to agree with me in the conclusions I think myself 
authorized to make. I lament the being unable to determine where 
these fossils were found ; but this circumstance, however to be regretted 
on other accounts, will, fortunately, in no respect interfere with my 
present object. It is right to observe that, from the similarity of their 
matrix, and, from my having obtained them all from one person, there 
is reason for supposing that they all came from the same place, and I 
suspect from the Isle of Gothland. 
One of these fossils, Plate XVII. Fig. 4, although very imperfect in 
some respects, retains sufficient of its original form and matter to 
prove that it is of the same species with the fossil just described. 
Like that fossil, it has a small circular radiated area at its lower part, 
evidently adopted for articulation with the superior vertebra of the 
vertebral column ; and, like that fossil, it had five hollow arms, each 
divided by a partition down the centre. This fossil is entirely filled 
with a very hard pyritous clay. 
Another, Plate XVII. Fig. 2, is a fragment of either a variety of 
this species, or of a much larger specimen than those just described ; 
it has a trochital articulating surface, nearly six times as large as 
that of the foi mer, with a central pentagonal opening. This surface 
appears to have been formed by a circular plate, with five obliquely 
