Probably some freak of water action. Carroll, with
    magnifier, thinks he can make out additional markings of geologic
    significance. Groups of tiny dots in regular patterns. Dogs growing
    uneasy as we work, and seem to hate this soapstone. Must see if it
    has any peculiar odor. Will report again when Mills gets back with
    light and we start on underground area. *       *       *       *       *

    10:15 p.m. Important discovery. Orrendorf and Watkins, working
    underground at 9:45 with light, found monstrous barrel-shaped fossil
    of wholly unknown nature; probably vegetable unless overgrown
    specimen of unknown marine radiata. Tissue evidently preserved by
    mineral salts. Tough as leather, but astonishing flexibility
    retained in places. Marks of broken-off parts at ends and around
    sides. Six feet end to end, three and five tenths feet central
    diameter, tapering to one foot at each end. Like a barrel with five
    bulging ridges in place of staves. Lateral breakages, as of
    thinnish stalks, are at equator in middle of these ridges. In
    furrows between ridges are curious growths--combs or wings that
    fold up and spread out like fans. All greatly damaged but one,
    which gives almost seven-foot wing spread. Arrangement reminds one
    of certain monsters of primal myth, especially fabled Elder Things
    in _Necronomicon_. These wings seem to be membranous, stretched on framework of
    glandular tubing. Apparent minute orifices in frame tubing at wing
    tips. Ends of body shriveled, giving no clue to interior or to what
    has been broken off there. Must dissect when we get back to camp. Can't decide whether vegetable or animal. Many features obviously
    of almost incredible primitiveness. Have set all hands cutting
    stalactites and looking for further specimens. Additional scarred
    bones found, but these must wait. Having trouble with dogs. They
    can't endure the new specimen, and would probably tear it to pieces
    if we didn't keep it at a distance from them. *       *       *       *       *

    11:30 p.m. Attention, Dyer, Pabodie, Douglas. Matter of highest--I
    might say transcendent--importance. _Arkham_ must relay to Kingsport
    Head Station at once. Strange barrel growth is the archæan thing
    that left prints in rocks. Mills, Boudreau, and Fowler discover
    cluster of thirteen more at underground point forty feet from
    aperture. Mixed with curiously rounded and configured soapstone
    fragments smaller than one previously found--star-shaped, but no
    marks of breakage except at some of the points. Of organic specimens, eight apparently perfect, with all appendages. Have brought all to surface, leading off dogs to distance. They
    cannot stand the things. Give close attention to description and
    repeat back for accuracy. Papers must get this right. Objects are eight feet long all over. Six-foot, five-ridged barrel
    torso three and five tenths feet central diameter, one foot end
    diameters. Dark gray, flexible, and infinitely tough. Seven-foot
    membranous wings of same color, found folded, spread out of furrows
    between ridges. Wing framework tubular or glandular, or lighter
    gray, with orifices at wing tips. Spread wings have serrated edge. Around equator, one at central apex of each of the five vertical,
    stavelike ridges, are five systems of light-gray flexible arms or
    tentacles found tightly folded to torso but expansible to maximum
    length of over three feet. Like arms of primitive crinoid. Single
    stalks three inches diameter branch after six inches into five
    substalks, each of which branches after eight inches into five
    small, tapering tentacles or tendrils, giving each stalk a total
    of twenty-five tentacles. At top of torso blunt, bulbous neck of lighter gray, with gill-like
    suggestions, holds yellowish five-pointed starfish-shaped apparent
    head covered with three-inch wiry cilia of various prismatic colors. Head thick and puffy, about two feet point to point, with three-inch
    flexible yellowish tubes projecting from each point. Slit in exact
    center of top probably breathing aperture. At end of each tube is
    spherical expansion where yellowish membrane rolls back on handling
    to reveal glassy, red-irised globe, evidently an eye. Five slightly longer reddish tubes start from inner angles of
    starfish-shaped head and end in saclike swellings of same color
    which, upon pressure, open to bell-shaped orifices two inches
    maximum  diameter and lined with sharp, white tooth-like
    projections--probable mouths. All these tubes, cilia, and points
    of starfish head, found folded tightly down; tubes and points
    clinging to bulbous neck and  torso. Flexibility surprising despite
    vast toughness. At bottom of torso, rough but dissimilarly functioning counterparts
    of head arrangements exist. Bulbous light-gray pseudoneck, without
    gill suggestions, holds greenish five-pointed starfish arrangement. Tough, muscular arms four feet long and tapering from seven inches
    diameter at base to about two and five tenths at point. To each
    point is attached small end of a greenish five-veined membranous
    triangle eight inches long and six wide at farther end. This is the
    paddle, fin, or pseudofoot which had made prints in rocks from a
    thousand million to fifty or sixty million years old. From inner angles of starfish arrangement project two-foot reddish
    tubes tapering from three inches diameter at base to one at tip. Orifices at tips. All these parts infinitely tough and leathery,
    but extremely flexible. Four-foot arms with paddles undoubtedly
    used for locomotion of some sort, marine or otherwise. When moved,
    display suggestions of exaggerated muscularity. As found, all
    these projections tightly folded over pseudoneck and end of torso,
    corresponding to projections at other end. Cannot yet assign positively to animal or vegetable kingdom, but
    odds now favor animal. Probably represents incredibly advanced
    evolution of radiata without loss of certain primitive features. Echinoderm resemblances unmistakable despite local contradictory
    evidences. Wing structure puzzles in view of probable marine habitat, but may
    have use in water navigation. Symmetry is curiously vegetablelike,
    suggesting vegetable's essential up-and-down structure rather than
    animal's fore-and-aft structure. Fabulously early date of evolution,
    preceding even simplest archæan Protozoa hitherto known, baffles all
    conjecture as to origin. Complete specimens have such uncanny resemblance to certain
    creatures of primal myth that suggestion of ancient existence
    outside antarctic becomes inevitable.