46 The American Geologist. January. i904. 
length, CDiistrucled of small hexagonal pieces. To my knowledge it is 
the first time that such a body has been observed on a blastoid. I found 
this appendix on Pentremites conoideus and have now four specimens 
of it showing this, so" far unknown, organ. All four specimens are in 
an excellent state of preservation and show also the pinnulse preserved. 
I am inclined to believe that similar organs existed in all typical species." 
Regarding the proposed new classification, Dr. Hambach says : 
"The classification here ofifered is based mainly on the construction of 
the summit openings, because they exhibit a uniformity in structure, re- 
maining always the same in their respective genera — a fact which must 
be of great value for classification. Next, the development of the delt- 
oids is considered, also the aspect of the outer surface (whether smooth 
of spiny). Whereas the general size and shape of the body, whether 
globose, pyriform, ovoidal, conical or clavate, depends upon the varia- 
tions in the form of the parts which construct the body, and whereas the 
relations of these parts to each other remain the same throughout the 
whole class, the difference can be only specific and not generic. Nor 
can we attribute any more than specific value to the hydrospiric tubes, 
or plications, on account of the variability often observed in one and the 
same specimen — a fact sufficiently recognized by the very authors who 
regard them as being of importance for classification. All names end- 
ing in "crinus" are omitted. 
"I also w-ish to remark that this classification embraces only our 
American species, although most of the European species, I believe 
(judging from my small collection of European specimens), will fit 
into one or another of these genera, with the exception of abberrant 
forms, like some of our American ones, of which it is still doubtful 
whether they should be regarded as blastoids of cystoids, for the recep- 
tion of which a separate class should be established. This class may in- 
clude all doubtful specimens and those insufficiently described and 
doubtfully .illustrated because of the fragmentary condition of the ma- 
terial." 
Students of exact systematic nomenclature will seriously object to 
the attempt to throw out all blastoid names ending in "crinus,'" as Gran- 
atocrinus for example, and the substitution of new generic names, and it 
is not probable that any paleontologist will be inclined to follow the 
proposition. 
It would appear also that too many species have been recognized, but 
as this is merely a matter of personal judgment at best there can be 
little fault found on this score. It would have been a valuable and 
convenient addition to the memoir if all the specific bibliographic re- 
ferences had been given. However, this little monograph represents 
too many good results to permit any shortcomings of this nature to de- 
tract materially from its real worth. 
In respect to the material upon which the studies were based. Dr. 
Hambach rejnarks: "Induced by the sweeping statement of Mr. F. A. 
Bather, I give the following list, comparing the blastoids in my collec- 
tion with those of the British Museum. According to Mr. Bather's 
