Chapter V: Part II: Fossil Fauna (1)

Plates XXXIV. to LXXIV. inclusive.

PLATE XXXIV.

(_Plates XXXIV. to LXXIV. inclusive, are from Parkinson's Organic Remains._)

Fossil Tubipore, from Derbyshire.

(_Syringopora geniculata_, of Phillips, from the Mountain Limestone,
Derbyshire.)

The specimen figured is a mass of limestone, on the surface of which is spread out in high relief a delicate tubiporite, or fossil coral, allied to the Tubipora, or "Organ-pipe coral," so generally preserved in cabinets of natural curiosities, from the beauty and elegance of its crimson tubes. The fossil, however, though somewhat resembling the recent coral in its general form, belongs to an extinct genus.

This Syringopora appears to have been very abundant in the sea in which the strata of mountain or carboniferous limestone were deposited, for it forms entire beds of great extent. A beautifully figured marble results from this coral, when the interstices of its tubes have been filled up with compact calcareous matter. A small polished slab is represented in fig. 2. At Matlock, vases, and other ornamental articles, are made of it; and the sections of the coral tubes impart considerable variety of figures.[25]

[Footnote 25: Articles of this kind may be obtained of Mr. Tennant, 149, Strand.]

Some slabs of this fossil coral are of a dull red hue, which there is every reason to conclude is due to the colour of the original; and not only are traces of the natural tints of the living zoophyte preserved, but even the animal membrane of the coral; and this may be exposed by immersing a fragment of the marble in dilute muriatic (hydrochloric) acid. Mr. Parkinson thus describes the result of his first experiment:--

"A fragment of the marble (Plate XXXIV. fig. 2) was exposed to the action of muriatic acid in a very dilute state. As the calcareous earth was dissolved, and the carbonic acid escaped, I was delighted to observe the membranaceous substance appear, depending from the stone in light, flocculent, elastic flakes. Many of these retained a deep red colour, and appeared in a beautiful and distinct manner, although not absolutely retaining the form of the tubipore. A faithful representation of this appearance is given in fig. 3."

This experiment of Mr. Parkinson was highly important, as proving the previously almost incredible fact, that animal membrane, when hermetically sealed, as it were, in the solid stone, was as indestructible as the rock itself. It suggested, too, the probability that vestiges of other animal tissues might be traced in organic remains, and encouraged subsequent observers to seek for evidence of the soft parts of animal bodies entombed in the strata. It was the first step in the right direction, and led to the detection of many highly interesting phenomena. In Dr. Buckland's Bridgewater Essay will be found figures and descriptions of the eyes of crustacea: of the wings, elytra or wing-covers, and the integuments of the body of insects; of the skin of reptiles; and, in the "Wonders of Geology," and "Medals of Creation," of the membranes of the air-bladder, and of the capsule of the eye of fishes; of the soft parts of the animalcules called foraminifera, &c. The bodies of mollusca, or shell-fish, converted into a dark brown mass (_mollushite_), occur in such abundance in some deposits, as to yield a rich manure from the quantity of phosphate of lime. The excrementitious substances termed by Dr. Buckland "Coprolites," are also used for agricultural purposes.

PLATE XXXV.

The subjects here figured are Fossil Corals.

Fig. 1. (_Syringopora ramulosa_.) A fragment of another species
of the coral previously described; from the mountain
limestone.

Fig. 2, represents four connected tubes of the recent organ-pipe
coral (_Sarcinula musica_) of New Holland, to show the
structure of this type of Zoophytes. Coloured figures of the
live polypes of this coral are given in Wonders of Geology,
sixth edition, vol. ii. plate vi.

Fig. 3. A polished slab of marble, the white markings in which
are produced by sections of the tubes of the same species of
coral as that represented in fig. 1.

Fig. 4. (_Catenipora escharoides._) The fossil here delineated is
well known to collectors by the name of "_chain-coral_"
derived from the elegant cateniform markings produced by
transverse sections of the parallel tubes, which being of an
oval form, and in close apposition, give rise to chain-like
figures, as shown in figs. 5 and 6. From Dudley.

This fossil coral abounds in that division of the Silurian formation termed the Wenlock or Dudley limestones, wherever these deposits occur. The most exquisite specimens are obtained from the Falls of the Ohio, at Louisville, in the United States of America. A coral reef of the Silurian epoch here exists in the bed of the mighty stream of fresh water, almost as perfect as when growing in its native sea! The river dashes over the entire mass in the season of high water; but in those periods when the stream is low, the ridge of coral is exposed, and its surface then presents the most extraordinary display of Silurian corals, of numerous species and genera, standing in relief on the more compact masses of the rock. The substance of the corals, being siliceous, resists the action of the cataract, while the softer calcareous matter which filled up the interstices of the tubes, lamellæ, &c. of the zoophytes, is washed away atom by atom; and natural dissections are formed, which art would in vain attempt to imitate. Dr. Yandell, of the Medical College, Louisville, and Dr. Clapp, of New Albany, have splendid collections from the Falls, which every geologist and intelligent traveller who visits Kentucky should not fail to examine: the masses of Astreæ, Madrepores, &c. are so fresh in their aspect, as not to be readily distinguished from the recent specimens of the same genera which are placed beside them.[26]

[Footnote 26: See Sir Charles Lyell's Travels in the United States; and Drs. Yandell and Shumard's "Contributions to the Geology of Kentucky." Louisville, 1847.]

Fig. 5, is a transverse section of a mass of chain-coral from
Dudley.

Fig. 6. The same, as seen by transmitted light.

PLATE XXXVI.

Various Fossil Corals from different Formations.

Figs. 1, 2, 3. (_Cyathophyllum turbinatum_, of Goldfuss.) These
three turbinated or top-shaped corals are referable to a
genus of which many species are exceedingly abundant in the
Wenlock or Dudley limestone of the Silurian System. They
belong to the Anthozoa, or flower-like corals. The living
animal, of which the _coral_ is but the durable earthy
fabric or skeleton, bore a close analogy to the sea-anemone,
or animal flower (_Actinia_), of our coasts. Each of these
specimens belonged but to a single animal: the Cyathophylla
are not, like the tubipores previously described, an
aggregation of numerous individual polypes.[27]

[Footnote 27: For a popular account of the nature of Corals and the animals which form them, see Wonders of Geology, vol. ii. Lect. vi. p. 589.]

Fig. 4. A small coral (_Fungia_) from Dudley.

Fig. 5. On this block of mountain limestone there are the remains
of two different kinds of corals. The upper cylindrical part
is a fragment of Cyathophyllum, to the lower part of which
is attached a species of another genus (_Michelinia_).

Fig. 6, is a small coral (_Fungia numismalis_, of Goldfuss),
common in the Oolite.

Fig. 7. A piece of encrinital limestone, from Derbyshire, having
a conical cast--that is, the stone has been moulded in the
interior or cavity--of a turbinated coral (_Turbinolia_).

Fig. 8. A longitudinal section, showing the transverse cells and
lamellæ of the same kind of coral (_Cyathophyllum_) as figs.
1, 2, 3.

Fig. 9. A species of Turbinolia (_Turbinolia complanata_, of
Goldfuss).

Fig. 10. A small turbinated coral (_Turbinolia mitrata_, of
Hesinger), from the Silurian strata of Gothland.

Fig. 11. A Turbinolia from the Silurian deposits of Sweden.

Fig. 12. A remarkable coral (_Petraia_, of Munster), from the
Devonian strata.

Figs. 13 & 14, are sections of Cyathophylla, like figs. 1, 2, 3,
to exhibit the internal structure.

Figs. 15 & 16. Two elegant simple corals (_Caryophyllia
centralis_, of Mantell), from the chalk of Kent. The form
and disposition of the lamellæ of the cavity, as seen at the
upper part of the specimens, are shown at _a_ and _b_.

Fig. 17. A transverse and polished section of a species of
Cyathophyllum, from the Devonian strata, at Blackenberg on
the Rhine.

PLATE XXXVII.

Various Fossil Compound Corals.

Fig. 1. A beautiful specimen of Star-coral (_Astrea ananas_, of
Goldfuss), from the Silurian strata of Sweden. At _a_, is
shown "the mode in which, as in proliferous flowers, new
polypes bud from the centre of the parent disk. At _b_, is
represented the growth in the recent _Madrepora stellaris_
of Linnæus."--_Mr. Parkinson._

Fig. 2. An elegant Cyathophyllum (_C. dianthus_, of Goldfuss),
from the Silurian formation of Sweden. At _c_, (the lower
part of the plate,) is shown its probable mode of increase.

Figs. 3 & 6. A columnar compound coral (_Lithostrotion striatum_,
of Lhwyd), from the mountain limestone of Derbyshire;
fig. 3, is a transverse section of fig. 6, showing the
basaltiform arrangement of the columns.

Fig. 4. "A fossil madrepore, from Lincolnshire."--_Mr. Parkinson._

Fig. 5. A very elegant and abundant coral (_Caryophyllia
annularis_, of Parkinson), in the bed termed "Coral Rag," of
the oolite of Wiltshire, Berkshire, &c. Large conglomerated
masses of this branched species form a considerable
proportion of the fossil coral-reef which traverses some
parts of the oolite: and when this bed is worked for road
materials, blocks of this coral, more or less changed into
calcareous spar, may be seen lying on the way-side. Near
Faringdon, in Berkshire, a quarry in the Coral-rag has
yielded many beautiful examples.

Fig. 7. Called "Spider-stone," by Mr. Parkinson. It is a species
of _Astrea_: _d_, is an enlarged view of one of the
polype-cells.

Fig. 8. A beautiful fossil coral, from Transylvania (apparently a
species of Lithostrotion?).

Fig. 9. The specimen figured is from the mountain limestone of
the Mendip Hills. (It is the _Michelinia tenuisepta_, of
Phillips; _Manon favosum_, of Goldfuss?) It is described
by Mr. Parkinson as "bearing somewhat of a honeycomb
appearance."

PLATE XXXVIII.

Fossil Corals, and Coral Marbles.

Fig. 1, is a polished slab of the carboniferous limestone,
well known as the Kilkenny marble, and much used for
chimney-pieces. The figures exposed on the surface are
produced by sections of enclosed corals (some species of
Cyathophyllum), which are transmuted into white calcareous
spar.

Fig. 2. A coral of the same kind (_Cyathophyllum turbinatum_),
from the mountain limestone of Derbyshire.

Fig. 3. A polished slice of Derbyshire marble, the markings on
which are derived from sections of enclosed branches of
corals (_Syringopora_), resembling that figured in Pl. XXXIV.

Fig. 4. An elegant compound coral, called "Spider-stone" by
collectors (_Astrea arachnoides_, of Dr. Fleming); from
Wiltshire: the geological habitat uncertain; probably the
Oolite.

Fig. 5. This specimen appears to be a cluster of corals belonging
to the genus Cyathophyllum.

Fig. 6. A magnified sketch of one of the cells of fig. 4.

Fig. 7. A polished transverse section of a coral; the precise
relation of this species is not certain.

Fig. 8. This is a very abundant coral in some of the beds of
mountain limestone, (_Lithodendron fasciculatum_, of
Phillips.) The specimen figured is from Clifton, near
Bristol. The marble cups, and other ornaments, manufactured
from the rocks near that place, often exhibit sections of
this species.

Fig. 9. A mass of coral from Ingleborough, (_Cyathophyllum
fungites._)

Fig. 10. A polished slice of a beautiful marble richly marked by
the sections of the enclosed corals (_Astrea undulata_, of
Dr. Fleming); from Switzerland: probably from the Oolitic or
Jurassic formation.

Fig. 11. Vertical section of a fossil coral, showing the
transverse arrangement of the internal cells.

Figs. 12 & 13. These specimens are polished sections of a very
beautiful compound coral (_Astrea Tisburiensis_, of Miss
Benett), which occurs in a silicified state in the Portland
beds that are quarried at Tisbury, in Wiltshire. Masses of
chert (a kind of coarse silex or flint), wholly made up of
this coral, are often met with, and when sliced and polished
are extremely beautiful and interesting; the originally
calcareous fabric of the zoophytes being perfectly
transmuted into silex, and the interstices filled up with a
similar substance, but of a different colour.[28]

[Footnote 28: Specimens of the Tisbury Astrea, and of most if not all of the coralline marbles figured and described, may be obtained of Professor Tennant; and also vases, &c. of the various marbles of Derbyshire.]

PLATE XXXIX.

Various Fossil Corals and Sponges, or Amorphozoa.

Fig. 1. A coral from the Dudley limestone. (_Favosites?_)

Fig. 2, is a vertical section of figs. 4 and 5, to show the
internal arrangement of the cells.

Fig. 3. The under surface of a very common species (_Favosites
Gothlandica_, of Goldfuss); from the Wenlock limestone of
Dudley. A magnified view of part of the surface, to show the
honeycomb structure, is given in fig. 7.

Fig. 4, the under, and fig. 5, the upper surface, of a small
coral (_Cyclolites ?_) from the Oolite.

Fig. 6. A silicified branched sponge, (_Spongites lobatus_, of
Dr. Fleming,) from the chalk of Berkshire.

Fig. 9, is a beautiful silicified, lobate, spongoid body,
(_Siphonia_,) probably from the greensand. Siliceous
cruciform spicula obtained from this fossil are represented
in fig. 8.

Zoophytes of this kind, like many of the sponges, have their tissues strengthened by, and largely composed of spicula, which vary in form and size in the different species and genera. Many sponges and Siphoniæ in flint, and in the chert of the greensand, consist almost entirely of spicula, which may be easily detected by a slightly magnifying power.

Fig. 10. Another common Dudley Coral. (_Porites pyriformis_, of
Mr. Lonsdale.)

Fig. 11. A beautiful coral (_Explanaria flexuosa_, of Dr.
Fleming), from the Coral Rag of Steeple Ashton, Wilts. The
outline indicates the mode of increase, according to Mr.
Parkinson, of this form of zoophyte.

Fig. 12. This is a portion of a delicate ramose sponge
(_Spongites ramosus_, of Mantell), whose remains are
abundant in the chalk-flints, and have given rise to the
irregularly branched siliceous nodules. A specimen nine
inches long, with seven branches, is figured in Fossils of
the South Downs, Pl. XV. fig. 11. Siliceous spicula are
thickly interspersed throughout the mass.

PLATE XL.

Fossil Corals, &c.

Fig. 1. The shells of Oysters, and other mollusca, are subjected
to the ravages of a parasitical sponge, (_Cliona_, of Dr.
Grant,) which is beset with minute siliceous spines or
spicula, and inhabits hollows formed in the substance of the
shell. Shells thus honeycombed, as it were, may often be
found on the sea-shore with the excavated parts filled up
by sponge. I have shells collected by my eldest son on the
shores of New Zealand, that are hollowed out in a similar
manner, and occupied by sponge. Whether these cavities are
produced by mechanical means, or are the result of the
decay and absorption of the shell induced by the growth of
the parasite, are questions still undetermined. There are
several kinds of shells found fossil, which were infested
with a similar parasitical sponge; and when the cavities
thus produced have been filled up by flint, and the shell
has subsequently decomposed, or been worn away, the surface
of the flint is studded with the casts of the cells, in
the form of small irregular globular bodies, connected by
filaments or strings of flint. The fossil, fig. 1, is a
fossil of this kind, described by Mr. Parkinson as being
"covered with minute round bodies, the nature of which is
unknown;" fig. 12, is an enlarged view of five of these
globular casts connected by filaments.

The origin of these fossils was first pointed out by the Rev. W. Conybeare.[29] The fibrous shells of a fossil genus of bivalves named _Inoceramus_, of which several species abound in the Chalk, appear to have been particularly subjected to depredations of this kind. Hence among partially water-worn flints, specimens of the siliceous casts are common; figs. 8, and 10, are examples from the Hackney gravel-pits.

[Footnote 29: See Medals of Creation, vol. i. p. 396, fig. 94.]

Mr. Morris has named these fossils, _Clionites_; fig. 1, is _C. Parkinsoni_.

Figs. 2, 4, 7, are portions of a recent species of jointed
zoophyte (_Isis_), from a modern concretionary deposit on
the shores of the Mediterranean, Sicily.

Fig. 3. A branched fossil coral (_Millepora ramosa_, of Dr.
Fleming), imbedded in compact oolitic limestone from
Wiltshire. A portion of the surface magnified is represented
in fig. 11.

Fig. 5, appears to be a fungiform Spongite; its locality is not
mentioned.

Fig. 6. Portion of a fossil coral (_Ceriopora_), from
Switzerland.

Figs. 8, & 10. These pebbles have the surface covered with casts
of Clionites (_Clionites Conybeari_, of Mr. Morris.[30])

[Footnote 30: Mr. Morris thus defines the generic character of these fossil bodies:--"Reticular masses of a more or less compressed globular, elliptical, or polygonal form; rugose and sometimes papillose; connected by minute tubuli or fibrillæ. Dendritical, dichotomous, or irregularly aggregated." _Clionites Conybeari_ is characterized by "Cells irregular, somewhat polygonal, with one or more papillæ; surface finely tuberculated, connecting threads numerous." Note from Mr. Morris, April, 1850.

The fossils, however, do not appear to be the silicified sponge (_Cliona_) by which the ravages in the shell have been effected; they are merely casts of the cavities produced.]

Fig. 9. Fragments of the radicle processes of attachment of some
Apiocrinite or Lily-shaped animal in chalk; see description
of Plate LI.

Fig. 14. A section of a siliceous nodule; probably the cellular
appearance is inorganic: fig. 13, is a magnified section of
the cells.

PLATE XLI.

A Silicified cup-shaped Sponge, from Touraine.

(_Chenendopora Parkinsoni_, of Michelin.
_Spongites Townsendi_, of Mantell.)

This beautiful plate of a petrified zoophyte allied to the Spongia, formed the frontispiece to Mr. Parkinson's second volume. The fossil delineated is from Touraine in France, and is one of the most perfect examples of this kind hitherto observed. It belongs to a group of cup-shaped _Amorphozoa_, (as these organisms are now named by naturalists, from the great irregularity of shape which they assume,) termed _Chenendopora_. The original organic substance is transmuted into silex, and the interstices are filled up with carbonate of lime. The same species occurs in the greensand in the Vale of Pewsey in Wiltshire, and, I believe, also in the white-chalk; for many cyathiform flints from the South Downs appear to have the same internal structure.

In the so-called "gravel-pits," near Faringdon, in Berkshire,--which are quarries of a loosely-aggregated grit of the greensand, almost wholly made up of the relics of shells, corals, amorphozoa, &c.--numerous sponges of this genus are met with. One beautiful species (_Chenendopora fungiformis_) has acquired, from its cup-like form, the local name of "petrified salt-cellar."[31]

[Footnote 31: Wonders of Geology, vol. ii. p. 637; and Medals of Creation, "Excursion to Faringdon," vol. ii. p. 923.]

PLATE XLII.

The Fossils represented in this Plate are chiefly Zoophytes in Flint.

Fig. 1. A flint from the gravel-pits at Hackney. Its form is
derived from the enclosed zoophyte, part of whose structure
is exposed in the upper portion of the figure. This
fossil zoophyte (_Choanites Königi_, of Mantell) is very
abundant in some of the chalk strata, and many of the most
beautifully marked pebbles cut and polished for brooches by
the lapidaries of Brighton, Bognor, and the Isle of Wight,
are the silicified soft parts of this animal. The original
was of a subglobular form, and probably of a soft fleshy
consistence; it had a deep central cavity, whence numerous
tubes diverged, and ramified throughout the mass; it was
fixed at the base by radicle or root-like processes.[32]

[Footnote 32: See Medals of Creation, p. 264. "Thoughts on a Pebble," (eighth edition,) contains coloured figures and a full description of these fossils.]

Fig. 2. This is another characteristic and abundant fossil
zoophyte of the chalk and flint. The specimen figured
is a water-worn pebble, and therefore gives but obscure
indications of the form and structure of the original.
The fungiform flints--called in Sussex petrified
mushrooms--belong to the same genus (_Ventriculites_, of
Mantell): and highly interesting specimens occur in which
some part of the zoophyte is invested with flint, and
the other part expanded in the chalk. The original was
probably a polyparium--that is, the skeleton or support of
an aggregation of coral-polypes--of a funnel shape, the
polype-shells being situated on the inner surface: the base
was attached by root-like fibres.[33] The polype-cells are
cylindrical and regular, and clusters of beautiful casts of
them often occur on flints.

[Footnote 33: Consult Medals of Creation, pp. 270-279: and Wonders of Geology, sixth edition, p. 638.]

Fig. 3. This specimen is described by Mr. Parkinson as "a
pear-shaped alcyonite from Switzerland." It is probably one
of those fossil zoophytes allied to the sponges (called
_Siphonia_), in which the upper part is of a bulbous or
pear-like form, and is supported by a stem with root-like
processes at the base. The bulb has a central cavity
studded with irregular pores, that communicates with the
parallel longitudinal tubes of which the stem is composed: a
structure admitting of that ready ingress and egress of the
sea-water, which this class of organisms requires. There are
numerous species in the greensand of the chalk formation.[34]

[Footnote 34: Medals of Creation, p. 258, Lign. 56.]

Fig. 4. A variety of Siphonia (_Jerea excavata_, of Michelin),
from the greensand of Wiltshire.

Fig. 5. A silicified Siphonia from Saumur.

Fig. 6. A Ventriculite from a gravel-pit; the markings are
produced by the exposed and partially abraded outer
integument, which in perfect examples consists of a regular
net-work of sub-cylindrical fibres.

Fig. 7, is a transverse section of a Siphonia (_Siphonia
pyriformis_ of Goldfuss).

Fig. 8. A nearly perfect specimen of a similar fossil. In fig. 7,
are shown sections of tubes passing from the periphery to
the centre; in fig. 8, the central aperture of the cavity of
the bulb, and part of the stem, are displayed.

Figs. 9, & 10, are imperfect specimens of Choanites: fig. 10,
is a vertical section showing the central cavity and the
connected tubes.

Fig. 11, is another example of _Siphonia pyriformis_.

Fig. 12, a vertical, and fig. 13, a transverse section, of the
same species of Siphonia.

Fig. 14. A small turbinated calcareous spongite from Switzerland.

Fig. 15. The appearance of the animal membrane exposed by
immersion of the fossil (fig. 14), in diluted hydrochloric
acid.

PLATE XLIII.

Fossil Corals, and other Zoophytes.

Figs. 1, 2, 3, & 4, are representations of different aspects of
a simple coral (_Fungia polymorpha_, of Goldfuss); the
locality is uncertain. Fig. 1, the base; fig. 2, a magnified
representation of part of the same; fig. 3, magnified view
of part of the lamellated surface of fig. 4.

Fig. 5. The nature of this fossil is not obvious; it may be a
rolled Siphonia.

Fig. 6, is a fine specimen of a Siphonia (_Jerea pyriformis_,
of Lamouroux). At both extremities the apertures of the
numerous tubuli are seen.

Figs. 7, 8, & 9, are varieties of the same species of fossil
sponge (_Scyphia articulata_, of Goldfuss), from Switzerland.

Fig. 10. A spongite of a very peculiar form.

Fig. 11. A spongite investing a fossil shell (_Nerita_), from
Faringdon.

Fig. 12, is an imperfect specimen of a Ventriculite
(_Ventriculites alcyonoides_, of Mantell), from the chalk of
Wiltshire.

Fig. 13. A calcareous spongite which has been immersed in dilute
hydrochloric acid to show its structure.

Fig. 14. A pebble deriving its shape from a zoophyte apparently
related to the Ventriculites (_Spongites labyrinthicus_,
of Mantell). The aperture at the base has arisen from the
decomposition of the process of attachment.

Fig. 15. A pebble enclosing part of the base of a Ventriculite;
the circular spots on the large end are sections of the
ramifications of the stirps or base of the zoophyte; for
this figure and the following are drawn in an inverted
position.

Fig. 16, is a similar fossil, split vertically, and showing the
enclosed stem of the Ventriculite.

PLATE XLIV.

Fossil Zoophytes.

Fig. 1. A spongite (_Scyphia costata_, of Goldfuss), from
Switzerland. The fossil spongeous bodies named _Scyphia_,
are characterized by the "mass or body being either
cylindrical, simple or branched; fistulous, and terminating
in a rounded pit; entirely composed of a firm reticulated
tissue."[35] Like the other bodies comprised in the group
of Amorphozoa, the form in this genus is exceedingly
diversified, and as the structure is often but obscurely
shown, the determination of these fossils is oftentimes
impossible. It is however convenient, in the present state
of our knowledge, to distinguish the principal kinds by
names which may be modified or abandoned, when the structure
and natural affinities of the original organisms are more
accurately determined.

[Footnote 35: Medals of Creation, p. 237.]

Fig. 2. Another species of Scyphia from Switzerland; a small
portion of the surface magnified is seen at _a_.

Fig. 3. The peculiar form and tissue of another genus of
Amorphozoa (_Cnemidium rimulosum_, of Goldfuss), are shown
in this beautiful specimen.

Fig. 4, is a section of a chalk flint, from Wycombe Heath; the
purple body, partially invested by a white border, is
evidently a mass of the soft parts of some zoophyte, which
served as a nucleus to the siliceous nodule. A purple
or pink hue often prevails in the sections of zoophytes
immersed in flint, and doubtless depends on the original
colour of the living animal.

Fig. 5. A very fine spongite (_Chenendopora fungiformis_, of
Michelin), from France.

Fig. 6. This is evidently a fossil zoophyte, but the structure
exposed is not sufficiently characteristic to determine the
genus.

Fig. 7. A beautiful fungiform Scyphia.

Fig. 8. This elegant specimen, which Mr. Parkinson highly valued,
is evidently a _Choanite_ imbedded in flint. The body
retains a pink colour, and is surrounded by a white band,
which is probably the remains of the cortical or external
tissue of the original zoophyte. I have seen many transverse
sections in which the central mass was either of a pink or
purple colour, and encircled by a white zone, in the squared
flints of the walls of churches and other ancient edifices
in Sussex.[36]

[Footnote 36: Polished specimens of the pebbles of the Isle of Wight, exhibiting sections of the Choanites, Ventriculites, &c., may be obtained of _Mr. Fowlestone_, Lapidary, 4, Victoria Arcade, Ryde; who also has generally on sale a good series of the fossils of the Island. The minute organisms that occur in flints, many of which are highly interesting objects when seen by transmitted light under a good microscope, can be procured of _Mr. Topping_, that well-known preparer of microscopic objects, New Winchester Street, Pentonville Hill; and fossil infusorial earths, &c. in great perfection of _Mr. Poulton_, Microscopic Artist, Reading, Berks.]

PLATE XLV.

Fossil Corals and other Zoophytes.

Fig. 1. "A fossil body, from near Bath, the surface of which
is covered by stelliform markings, which seem to have
been formed by a coralloid."--_Parkinson._ This fossil
is supposed by Mr. Morris to be the cast of one of those
mollusca which form and inhabit hollows in stone, coral, &c.
(hence termed _Lithodomi_). In the present instance, the
mollusk had bored into a mass of coral, the imprints of the
stellular polype-cells of which remain on the surface of the
cast. It closely resembles fig. 3, Plate XXXVI. of Faujas
St. Fond, Hist. Mont. St. Pierre, which is described as a
coral; it is the _Astrea geometrica_, of Goldfuss.

Fig. 2. A fossil coral from Maestricht. At _b_, is shown an
enlarged view of one of the stars.

Fig. 3. "A siliceous fossil from Essex."--_Mr. Parkinson._
(_Ventriculites racemosus_, of Mr. Toulmin Smith.) I must
confess myself unable to determine the nature of this
specimen.

Figs. 4, & 6. Corals from the cretaceous strata of St. Peter's
Mountain, Maestricht (_Gorgonia bacillaris ?_ of Goldfuss).
At _a_, is shown one of the cells in fig. 6, magnified.

Fig. 5. A pebble, split asunder, exposing the remains of a
spongite, which formed the nucleus of the flint.[37]

[Footnote 37: For an account of the formation of flint, see Wonders of Geology, vol. i. p. 300. (_6th Edition._)]

Fig. 7. Another spongite in a pebble; from Sewardstone, Essex.

Fig. 8. A water-worn, silicified, or rather chalcedonic
Ventriculite, from France.

Fig. 9. A very beautiful transverse section of the stem of a
Ventriculite in a flint; the colour of the original being
retained. This was another precious gem in the estimation
of the amiable author of "The Organic Remains of a Former
World."

Fig. 10. A portion of a Choanite in flint; from gravel, Islington.

Fig. 11. A perfect specimen of a small simple coral (Fungia),
from Maestricht.

Fig. 12. A spongite in a pebble; similar to fig. 5. Such
specimens are very common in the shingle along the sea-shore
at Brighton, Dover, &c.

Fig. 13. A fossil coral in limestone, from Maestricht. It is too
imperfectly defined to determine the species or genus; an
enlarged sketch of the structure is given at _c_.

PLATE XLVI.

Pentacrinus.

Fig. 1. Specimen of a recent _Pentacrinus Caput Medusæ_, from the
Caribbean Sea.

The Lily-shaped animals (_Crinoidea_), so named from a fancied resemblance of some species when in a state of repose to a closed lily, may be compared to a Feather-star (_Comatula_) fixed to a jointed column, with its mouth upwards; the base of the stem being attached to the rock by root-like processes. The only known living genus inhabits the seas of the West Indies, and the specimen figured represents the body (or upper part of the animal), with a considerable portion of the stem remaining attached. The Crinoidea are divided into two groups; Encrinites, having the ossicula (little bones) of the stem rounded, and Pentacrinites, in which the ossicula of the column are pentagonal, or angular. The Crinoidea are characterized by having a fixed base, a column or stem composed of numerous separate articulated pieces of a solid calcareous substance, supporting on its summit a vase, or receptacle, formed by a series of closely adjusted plates, which contain the body, or viscera. The upper part of the receptacle is covered by a plated integument, on one side of which an aperture or mouth is placed. From the upper margin proceed five articulated tentacula or arms, which subdivide into branches that in some species are very numerous and of extreme tenuity. On the inside, the arms are beset with articulated cirri or feelers. The joints composing the column are perforated by a central opening; there are also side-arms, that radiate from the column in groups of five at different points. When the animal is alive, the skeleton is covered by a soft integument, as in the star-fishes, and the arms spread out and expand, forming a net, by which living prey is captured and conveyed to the mouth by the tentacula, in the same manner as in the fresh-water polype or Hydra.

The fossil remains of Crinoidea consist of the ossicula of the column, arms, and tentacula; of the plates of the vase, or receptacle; and of the peduncle, or base of attachment. This family of Radiaria, though now of such excessive rarity, swarmed in the seas that deposited the ancient secondary strata; whole mountain chains and extensive tracts of country are composed of strata almost entirely made up of their fossil remains.[38] The number and species of genera is very great.

[Footnote 38: Wonders of Geology, vol. ii. p. 645. Medals of Creation, p. 312.]

Fig. 2, is a remarkably beautiful specimen of the receptacle of
a Pentacrinite from Gloucestershire, showing the arms
introverted, as if the animal had suddenly perished while in
the act of closing over its prey; the stem is wanting.

Fig. 3. A spongite (_Chenendopora subplana_, of Michelin) from
the greensand of the Vale of Pewsey, in Wiltshire.

PLATE XLVII.

Fossil Remains of Crinoidea.

In this beautiful plate Mr. Parkinson has figured a great variety of ossicula and portions of stems belonging to many species and genera of Crinoidea; the markings or sculpturing on the articulating surfaces of the columnar ossicula are represented with great accuracy. It is not within the plan of this work to give detailed descriptions of these numerous detached parts; a few of the most interesting objects only will be particularized.

The specimens figured in the upper part of the plate, figs. 1 to 28, are cylindrical ossicula, and portions of stems of Encrinites: those in the lower division are for the most part pentagonal, and therefore belong to Pentacrinites.

Fig. 24. The "Tortoise Encrinite," of Mr. Parkinson, (_Marsupites
Milleri_, of Mantell,) from the chalk of Kent. The specimen
figured is the receptacle or body of a very remarkable
crinoideal animal which forms the link that unites the
Lily-shaped animals with the Star-fishes; like the former,
the receptacle is composed of articulated plates, closed
at the top by a tessellated plate-work with a buccal
aperture, and surrounded by five flexible arms; but the
original animal, like the Star-fishes, was destitute of a
stem, and could float through the water at pleasure. Its
true structure was first pointed out by me in 1822;[39] the
name Marsupite was suggested by the purse-like form. In the
figure, the base of the receptacle is uppermost. Fig. 30, is
a single plate of a Marsupite attached to a piece of chalk.

[Footnote 39: See "Fossils of the South Downs."]

Figs. 31, 35, 38, 39, 40, 41, 74, 75, 76, 77. These are portions
of a small species of Encrinite (_Apiocrinus ellipticus_)
peculiar to the white chalk, in some localities of which the
detached ossicula and peduncles are abundant. At Northfleet,
near Gravesend, these fossils are often met with. Figs. 75,
and 76, are portions of the receptacle with part of the
column; figs. 31, 38, and 39, are parts of the processes of
attachment. I have never seen any specimen with the arms.[40]

[Footnote 40: Medals of Creation, p. 321.]

Fig. 34. This is part of the receptacle and stem of another small
chalk Encrinite (_Bourgeticrinus_, of D'Orbigny) from Kent;
it is remarkable for the very slight increase in bulk of the
receptacle, and the peculiar form of the plates of which it
is composed.

Figs. 36 & 37. Two views of the receptacle of a very remarkable
crinoidean animal (_Pentremites florealis_, of Say), from
the cherty carboniferous limestone of Kentucky. This
zoophyte, though resembling the Crinoidea in having a
plated receptacle supported by an articulated stem, has a
remarkable affinity to the Sea-urchins (_Echinidæ_) in the
porous bands and pentagonal aperture, and in being destitute
of arms or tentacula. Some of the Kentucky limestone beds
swarm with the remains of these zoophytes.[41]

[Footnote 41: Medals of Creation, p. 327.]

Fig. 47. "Two ossicula of the Lily Encrinite immersed in diluted
muriatic acid, by which the animal membrane was exposed,
and is seen hanging in flocculæ from the bottom of the
fossil,"--_Mr. Parkinson._

Figs. 57, 64, 66. Part of the stem, and the articulating surfaces
of two ossicles of a very elegant pentacrinite (_Pentacrinus
scalaris_, of Goldfuss), from the Lias of Lyme Regis.

Figs. 53, 56, 59, 61, 62, 63, 65, 67. Portions of stems, and the
various modifications of the ossicula of another Lias
Pentacrinite (_Pentacrinus basaltiformis_, of Goldfuss).

Fig. 79. This elegant little crinoidean receptacle was named
the "Clove Encrinite," by Mr. Parkinson, from its form;
(_Eugeniacrinus caryophyllatus_, of Goldfuss). It is from
the Oolite of Mount Randen, in Switzerland.[42]

[Footnote 42: Ibid. p. 327.]

Figs. 80, 81, 82, & 83. Appear to be fossil corals of the genus
Ceriopora.

PLATE XLVIII.

The Lily Encrinite (_Encrinites monileformis_).

This exquisite species of the extinct Crinoideans which swarmed in the seas of the secondary ages of Geology, is equally interesting and attractive to the amateur collector and the scientific observer. The specimen figured is a charming example of the "_Stone Lily_" partly expanded, attached to a block of limestone studded with encrinal ossicula. Mr. Parkinson informed me that it was formerly in the collection of Mr. Jacob Forster, and cost him twenty guineas; from five to ten guineas is now the usual price for a specimen in a good state of preservation, with any part of the column attached. This Encrinite is not known to occur in England. The specimens seen in collections are for the most part from Lower Saxony: this species has only been found in the limestone strata called "_Muschelkalk_" one of the subdivisions of the _Trias_, or New Red Sandstone formation, of Germany.[43] The most celebrated locality of these fossils is in Brunswick, near the village of Erkerode, about two miles from the town bearing the same name. The bed in which they are found is a soft argillaceous cream-coloured limestone, about one foot and a half in thickness; and the stone is composed chiefly of trochites, or detached ossicula of the stems, and a few fragile shells and corals.

[Footnote 43: Medals of Creation, vol. i. p. 322. Wonders of Geology, vol. ii. pp. 534, 549.]

An elaborate account of the structure of the skeleton of the Lily Encrinite is given by Mr. Miller, in his valuable work, "The Natural History of the Lily-shaped Animals," (1 vol. 4to. 1821.) Mr. Parkinson had previously carefully investigated the different parts which enter into the composition of the receptacle and column, and had given them names analogous to those employed to designate the bones of the skeleton in vertebrated animals. This nomenclature has very properly been abandoned; but I subjoin Mr. Parkinson's description of the figures, to record his ingenuity and skill in dissecting organic remains:--

"Fig. 1, The Lily Encrinite, with part of its vertebral column
attached. In this specimen is seen the extensive capacity
for motion yielded by the peculiar form of the vertebra;
in the superior part of the column; and by the fortunate
removal of a portion of the fingers, a fair view is given of
the natural arrangement of the tentacula.

Fig. 2. The pentagonal base, composed of the ossa innominata, and
forming with the scapulæ and clavicles, the pelvis, in which
were contained the organs of digestion, &c.

Fig. 3. The Lily Encrinite, detached from its vertebral column.

_a_, the centre of its base, formed by five cuneiform ossicula,
or _ossa innominata_.

a, one of the _ossa innominata_ detached.

_b_, the ribs, or _articuli trapezoides_; forming, with the preceding
bones, the pentagonal base.

b, one of the ribs detached, showing its internal surface.

_c_, the clavicles.

c 1, the interior surface.

c 2, the superior surface.

_d_, the scapulæ.

d 1, the inferior surface.

d 2, the superior surface.

_e_, the arms.

f, the two first bones of the arms united.

_g, h, i, k, l, m_, the bones of the fingers gradually diminishing.

Fig. 4. Part of the supposed base, or organ of attachment, of the
Lily Encrinite.

Fig. 5. The supposed base, or organ of attachment, of the '_Cap
Encrinite_.'"

PLATE XLIX.

Remains of Encrinites.

Fig. 1. A polished slab of limestone formed of portions of the
stems of encrinites; the white figures are produced by
sections of the calcareous spar into which the ossicula
are transmuted. The dark spots are the cavities of the
entrochites, filled with mineral matter of a different
colour.

Fig. 2, is the pentagonal base of the receptacle of the
Derbyshire Encrinite.

Fig. 3. A mass of Derbyshire encrinal marble, with numerous
portions of stems lying in relief.

The Derbyshire encrinal marble is so extensively employed in the manufacture of tables, chimney-pieces, vases, &c., that it must be familiar to every reader; and yet probably but few are aware of its origin, or of the nature of the fossil remains of which it is composed, and that give rise to the elegant figures in which its beauty consists. On Middleton Moor, near Matlock, extensive quarries of this marble are worked, and good specimens of the ossicula and stems may be easily obtained.[44]

[Footnote 44: See Medals of Creation for "A Geological Excursion from Matlock to Middleton Moor, returning by Stonnis," p. 968.]

Fig. 4. Part of the stem of a large Encrinite, (_Cyathocrinus
rugosus_, of Miller,) from the Wenlock limestone, Dudley.

Fig. 5. A fine specimen of the lower part of the stem, and the
root-like processes of attachment of the base, of the same
species as fig. 4: from Dudley.

Fig. 6, is called the "_Screw or Pulley-stone_" of Derbyshire.
These curious fossils are found in the chert (a kind of
flint) which occurs in veins and layers in some of the
limestone strata: they are siliceous casts of the interior
cavities of the stems, and small branches of ossicula, of
Encrinites. Plate XL VII. fig. 10, is a detached specimen of
this kind.

Fig. 7, is described by Mr. Parkinson as "a piece of marble from
Shropshire, in which is discovered a part of the pentagonal
base of the Turban or Shropshire Encrinite."

Fig. 8, is part of the column of the same species. These
specimens belong to the Rose Encrinite (_Rhodocrinus verus_,
of Miller).

Fig. 9. The receptacle of a very remarkable form of Encrinite,
called by Mr. Parkinson "the _Cap Encrinite_ of Derbyshire."
I can find no notice of this beautiful and unique specimen
in the work of Miller or of subsequent authors; neither am
I aware of any data by which a relation can be established
between this receptacle and the ossicula and stems, so
abundant in the carboniferous limestone of Derbyshire.

PLATE L.

Encrinites and Pentacrinites.

The Pear Encrinite of Bradford; Mr. Parkinson.

(_Apiocrinus rotundus_, of Miller.
---- _Parkinsoni_, of Bronn.)

The most generally known of the British Crinoidea, from its size, and abundance in one particular locality, is the "_Pear Encrinite_" of Bradford in Wiltshire, some of the quarries of the oolite on the heights above that picturesquely-situated town, yielding not only immense quantities of detached plates and ossicula, but also numerous examples of the receptacle, and occasionally the entire skeleton from the peduncle of the base to the extremities of the arms. The lamented Mr. Channing Pearce, and his father (now of Percy Place, Grosvenor, Bath), when resident at Bradford, paid such unremitting attention to the collection of these fossils, that perfect specimens were obtained, exhibiting the entire structure of the originals; of these some fine examples are preserved in the British Museum. Sir Charles Lyell mentions a very interesting fact relating to the occurrence of these Crinoidea in the strata. He states that the upper surface of a bed of limestone at Bradford is incrusted with a continuous pavement formed by the stony roots of the Apiocrinites; and upon this is a layer of clay in which are the stems and bodies (receptacles) of innumerable examples; some erect, others lying prostrate; while throughout the clay are scattered detached arms, stems, and receptacles. This submarine forest of Crinoideans must therefore have flourished in the clear sea-water till invaded by a current loaded with mud, which overwhelmed the living zoophytes, and entombed them in the argillaceous deposit in which their remains are now imbedded.[45]

[Footnote 45: See Wonders of Geology, vol. ii. p. 653.]

The receptacle of this Apiocrinite is pyriform and very smooth, the plates are large and thin, with radiating articulated surfaces; the stem is short, smooth, and strong, the arms are simple, and like those of the Marsupite; the peduncle spreads out into an expanded base, which is firmly attached to the rock; sections of this part are generally of a purple colour.

Fig. 1. Part of the column of the Bradford Encrinite. 2. Part
of the receptacle; a minute incrusting coral (_Bryozoa_)
is attached to the lower part, giving the stem a rough
appearance.

Figs. 3, & 4. Surface of detached plates of the receptacle.

Fig. 5. Portion of the column partly covered with a cortical
covering of a purple colour possibly the original investing
membrane.

Fig. 6. A receptacle, in which a few of the ossicula of the arms
remain attached to the margin.

Fig. 7. Another receptacle, in which the plates called by Mr.
Parkinson "clavicles and scapulæ," are retained in their
natural positions.

Fig. 8. A receptacle, in which the principal plates are well
defined: these are named by Mr. Parkinson as follow: _a_,
clavicle; _b_, scapula; _c_, ossicula of the arms; _d_, the
last series of the same. The ossicles forming the elongated
tentacula, Mr. P. termed "_bones of the fingers_."

Fig. 9. Portion of an encrinital stem with digitated processes:
the nature of this fossil is unknown to me.

Fig. 10. Three united ossicula of a Pentacrinite with depressions
for side-arms: from the Lias of Lyme Regis.

Fig. 11. A distorted pentacrinal ossicle; said to be from Africa.

Figs. 12, & 14, are vertical polished sections of the peduncle, or
base of the stem, of the Bradford Encrinite.

Fig. 13. Vertical section of the peduncle of a Pentacrinite from
Soissons.

Fig. 15. A polished slab of pentacrinal marble from Charmouth,
Dorsetshire.

Fig. 16. Variously contorted pentacrinal stems with numerous
side-arms, from Charmouth.

PLATE LI.

Fossil Crinoidea, or Lily-shaped Animals.

Fig. 1. Part of the receptacle of the "_Nave Encrinite_" of Mr.
Parkinson (_Actinocrinus_, of Miller). Mountain limestone.

Fig. 2. A portion of the receptacle of a "_Rose Encrinite_"
(_Rhodocrinus_), viewed from the base.

Fig. 3. The "Nave Encrinite" (_Actinocrinus triacontadactylus_,
or thirty-fingered, of Miller), from the mountain limestone.
This is a good example of the structure of the receptacle
in this group of Crinoideans, which is distinguished by
the arms passing off at right angles from the periphery
of the receptacle, like the spokes of a wheel; whence the
name, Nave Encrinite. The upper part is covered by closely
adapted plates, and the buccal aperture or mouth is situated
at the side. The stem of this group is thickly beset with
side-arms. (Fig. 7 is a very small detached one.) The arms
are numerous (amounting to thirty in the species figured),
and of great length; these subdivide into jointed filaments
of extreme minuteness. Slabs of limestone are often entirely
covered with them, and many layers are wholly made up of
their aggregated remains. The plates of the receptacle are
generally highly ornamented: in one species the sculpturing
so closely resembles that of the _Marsupites ornatus_ of the
chalk, that it was with difficulty I convinced Mr. Parkinson
that the latter did not possess a stem, and therefore was
not an Actinocrinite.[46]

[Footnote 46: See Medals of Creation, p. 325; Wonders of Geology, p. 664; Miller's Crinoidea, p. 94.]

Figs. 4, & 5. Portions of receptacles of Actinocrinites.

Figs. 6, & 8. Fragments of stems of a Pentacrinite (_Pentacrinus
scalaris_, of Goldfuss); from Gloucestershire.

Fig. 9. A Pentacrinite expanded on a slab of Lias-shale.
Gloucestershire.

Fig. 10. Stem, receptacle, and arms of a Crinoidean (probably a
_Cyathocrinite_); it is drawn in an inverted position. The
figure is stated by Mr. Parkinson to be copied "from a plate
by Dr. Capeller." Neither the locality, nor the stratum from
which it was obtained, is mentioned.

Fig. 11. Part of the stem of a Pentacrinite (_P. basaltiformis_,
of Miller); from the Lias. Gloucestershire.

Fig. 12. The receptacle of a Crinoidean (_Platycrinus lævis_, of
Miller); from the mountain limestone, Ireland. Fig. 13,
ossicles of the arms; and fig. 14, joints of the stems,
slightly magnified.

Fig. 15. "The superior part of the Briaræan pentacrinite."--_Mr.
Parkinson._ (_Pentacrinus Briareus_, of Miller.) The
specimen is a slab of Lias, almost wholly made up of
crinoideal remains. In relief on the surface are the stems
and dislocated ossicles of the receptacle; the latter are
thus enumerated by Mr. Parkinson;--_a_, scapula; _b_,
clavicle; _c_, first bone of the arm; _d_, second arm-bone;
_e_, commencement of the two series of bones forming the
fingers.

Fig. 16, is another slab of pentacrinal Lias limestone, with
portions of a stem and numerous side-arms: these are
generally electrotyped, as it were, with a brilliant
pyrites, giving a rich metallic lustre to the animal
remains. In the British Museum there are many splendid
specimens of this highly interesting family of Radiaria. I
would especially direct the intelligent visitor's attention
to a slab of stone, many feet in height and breadth, on
which a group of Pentacrinites is displayed, as palpable
and perfect as if the animals were sporting in their native
element. This matchless specimen is from Germany.

Fig. 17. One of the small auxiliary lateral tentacles of a
Pentacrinite.

PLATE LII.

Pentacrinites.

Fig. 1. This specimen displays the usual appearance of the mode
in which the arms of Pentacrinites are spread out in relief
on the pyritous lias limestone of Charmouth.

Fig. 2. The arms, from the upper part of the receptacle to their
third or fourth subdivision of the Briaræan Pentacrinite.
Charmouth.

Fig. 3. A small specimen, showing the ramifications and delicacy
of the extremities of the arms or tentacula.

Fig. 4. "A fossil body, supposed to be a species of oval
encrinite."--_Mr. Parkinson._ This fossil is certainly
a coral, probably some species of Turbinolia, from the
Devonian formation.

PLATE LIII.

Fossil Star-Fishes and Echini.

The radiated animals popularly called Star-fishes, from their stellular figure, are so abundant along our sea shores, that the nature of the common five-rayed species (_Asterias_, or _Uraster rubens_)[47] must be familiar to most of my readers. This species belongs to the group in which the rays are elongated, and far exceed in length the diameter of the disk; in another subdivision (the _Goniaster_, or Cushion-star), the body is angular, and the lobes or rays are short, and do not exceed in length the diameter of the body. In another group (the _Comatula_, or Feather-star), the rays are fringed with long jointed tentacula, which divide and subdivide like those of the Crinoidea; and these star-fishes may, in fact, be regarded as free Lily-shaped animals.[48] There is another tribe in which the arms are elongated into slender rays, without grooves or tentacula; these are called the Serpent Star-fishes (_Ophiura_). Species of all these groups occur in a fossil state.[49]

[Footnote 47: See Professor Forbes's delightful "History of the British Star-Fishes."]

[Footnote 48: In the young state the Comatulæ have a jointed stem, and are attached to other bodies; being in this stage true Crinoideans.]

[Footnote 49: Medals of Creation, p. 332.]

Fig. 1. "Part of a fossil lunated star from the chalk of
Kent."--_Mr. Parkinson._ (_Goniaster semilunata_, of
Parkinson; _Goniaster Parkinsoni_, of Prof. E. Forbes).
Remains of Star-fishes are by no means rare in the chalk
strata of Kent; in those of Sussex they are far less common.
When the "Fossils of the South Downs" was published, in
1822, a few fragments only had been discovered. Of late
years, some beautiful examples have been obtained from
the chalk-pits near Arundel and Worthing, by Mr. Dixon,
Mr. Coombe, Mrs. Smith, of Tunbridge Wells, and other
collectors. The cabinet of the Marquess of Northampton is
very rich in this class of fossils. Several unique examples
of new species have been obtained from the chalk near
Maidstone.

Fig. 2. "An echinite, from France."--_Mr. Parkinson._ The
locality of this fossil is uncertain; no similar specimen
is known either to Mr. Morris, or the other eminent
palæontologists I have consulted; and the original cannot be
discovered. I have reason to believe it was purchased, after
Mr. Parkinson's death, together with the greater number of
the fossils already described, by an American gentleman, and
taken to the United States.

Fig. 3. "Part of a stellite or fossil star-fish, resembling
_Pentagonaster regularis_."--_Mr. Parkinson._ This
well-known chalk species (_Goniaster Mantelli_, of Prof.
E. Forbes), occurs frequently in an imperfect state in the
quarries near Gravesend. The collection of the Marquess
of Northampton contains a perfect and exquisite specimen
attached to a flint, from that locality.

Fig. 4. A beautiful example of the Turban Echinite (_Cidaris
Parkinsoni_, of Dr. Fleming), from Wiltshire.

The _Cidaris_, or Turban Echinite, belongs to the family of radiated animals, of which the recent Sea-urchin (_Echinus sphæra_) is a well-known example. The globular shell or envelope of these animals is composed of numerous calcareous polygonal plates, arranged in regular and elegant patterns, like the lines of the meridian on a globe. These plates are externally covered with papillæ of various sizes, to which spines of corresponding magnitude are articulated. In some of the _Cidares_ the principal tubercles are very large, and their spines several inches in length. The number and variety of the animals of this family that occur in a fossil state are so great, that a work expressly devoted to the subject would be required to thoroughly investigate the characters and relations of the known species. An elementary knowledge of this class of fossil remains may be obtained by reference to "Medals of Creation," chap. xi. p. 240.

Fig. 5. Part of the case of a Cidaris attached to a flint by its
outer surface, surrounded by upwards of twenty spines; the
interior of the shell, of a light pink colour, is exposed.
This exquisite fossil is now in the cabinet of the Marquess
of Northampton. It was purchased by Mr. Parkinson for the
sum of twenty guineas; but this was in the palmy days of
the study of organic remains, before the terms Geology and
Palæontology were invented, and when a choice relic of "a
former world" was cheap at any price, in the opinion of the
enthusiastic collector.

Fig. 6. A Turban Echinite (_Cidaris_ (_Hemicidaris_, of Agassiz)
_crenularis_, of Lamarck): from the Coral Rag of Wiltshire.

Fig. 7. A siliceous cast--that is, a flint that has been moulded
in the interior of the shell, and received the impress
of the internal structure--of "_Cidaris corollaris_," of
Parkinson; (_Cyphosoma correlare_, of Agassiz): from Sussex.

Fig. 8. Cidaris with spines, from the Oolite of Stonesfield.

Fig. 9. A specimen of one of the Cidares with large tubercles
(_Cidaris coronatus_, of Goldfuss); from the Coral Rag,
Oxfordshire.