PREFACE. vi 
Greek xrınos, a lily; prefixing for the name of each genus another 
descriptive term from the same language ; thus hoping to produce an 
association of ideas which a simple generic appellation could not 
have conveyed, and which might bead more readily impressed 6 on 
the memory of the student. 
I still, however, regret that it was not possible for me to avail 
myself of the very appropriate name Stylastrite (from zrraoz, a 
column, and azrrow, a star, i. e. a stellated animal, supported on a 
column) proposed by Mr. MARTIN (the author of a work on the 
fossils of Derbyshire) in his outlines on the knowledge of extraneous 
fossils. This name happily describes not only the general resemblance, 
but also the place which this family should occupy in the natural 
arrangement of organized beings; but being a compound term, would 
not have conveniently entered into any further combinations, and 
therefore would have failed in the object above کل ووا‎ I cannot 
however pass 1t over without notice, | ET NT 
I have avoided no names on imperfect fragments which did 
not yield a clearly distinct specific character, since this would only 
have uselessly swelled the already voluminous nomenclature of 
natural history. | 
ፕከ6 anatomical descriptions are, in every instance, drawn up from 
` actual and minute examination ; and it has been highly satisfactory 
to me, to have been able to verify and confirm the results obtained 
from the examination of fossil species, by comparison with the recent 
Pentacrinus, and to have found myself materially assisted by the 
analogies thus afforded, in investigating the allied genera Marsupites 
and Comatula. | 
As a native of the once free Hanseatic town of Dantzig, 1 felt 
myself long embarrassed by that imperfect knowledge. of the peculiar 
idiomatic forms of English composition, which must be supposed 
