Notice of the occurrence of ‶Actinocrinus pulcher″ (Saltt MSS.) in the Upper Silurian Flag of Denbighshire, North Wales being a new locality for this Encrinite

Abstract

Some time ago, while examining an old and now abandoned quarry, near Galt-y-celyn, Derwen, Denbighshire, I was fortunate enough to find an undoubted specimen of a very rare encrinite—the Actinocrinus pulcher of Mr Salter’s MSS.* On first examination I was unable to refer it to its exact species, but by the aid of Sir Roderick J. Murchison, Bart., to whom I forwarded the original specimen for identification, its specific characters were clearly made out. Mr Robert Etheridge, F.G.S., of the Museum of Practical Geology, Jermyn Street, and the palaeontologist of that institution, confirmed the diagnosis of Sir Roderick—that the specimen was undoubtedly Actinocrinus pulcher. Mr Etheridge was so delighted with the beauty of the specimen when he saw it, that he expressed a wish to retain it for the Jermyn Street Museum. To this request I cheerfully acceded. The lithographed chalk drawing (Plate XV.) which accompanies this notice, is an exact representation of the original specimen, after a sketch drawn by Mr C. R. Bone, of Jermyn Street, whose name as an artist is a sufficient guarantee for its accuracy of detail and expression. From this plate you will have an excellent idea of the peculiarities of the species, especially of the spine-like processes that characterise its column. This encrinite has never been found in Scotland, and undoubted specimens have only been obtained from two localities in North Wales, previous to my discovery of it as after mentioned. Professor Sedgwick,† of Trinity College, Cambridge, who was its discoverer, found a