CORALS FROM THE LOWER CHALK. 53 
CHAPTER IV. 
CORALS FROM THE LOWER CHALK. 
‘Tue number of British Corals known to belong to this formation is as yet so very 
small, that it would be premature to speculate on their mode of distribution. We have 
seen but two species, one appertaining to the family of Oculinide, the other to that 
of Eupsammide ; both appear to be peculiar to the lower chalk of England. 
Family OCULINID (p. xx). 
Genus SYNHELIA (p. xx). 
SYNHELIA SHarPEana. ‘Tab. IX, fig. 3, 3a. 
Corallum composite, dendroid, with thick, erect branches, forming acute angles with 
each other, and presenting on their surface large, non-exsert, circular calices, which are not 
closely set, and are united by rather indistinct, small costal striee. Calices quite superticial, 
and presenting scarcely any central depression. Columella assuming the appearance of a 
small, obtuse tubercle. Three complete cycla of sepéa, and in one half of each system two 
quaternary septa, of which no homologues exist in the other half. The septa are thick, 
very closely set, almost straight, and unequally developed, but those of the second order 
differ but little from the primary ones. The upper edge of all is horizontal, and closely 
denticulated ; towards the columella the denticulations are rather larger than towards 
the calicular margin, and we have not been able to decide whether some of them do 
not constitute pali. The lateral surfaces of the septa present oblong transverse granu- 
lations, which much resemble incomplete synapticule, but they are not prominent enough 
to meet those of the adjoining septa, and to subdivide the interseptal loculi. The height 
of the specimen here described is about two inches and a half, and the diameter of the 
calices two lines. 
We are as yet acquainted with but two other species that can be referred to our genus 
Synhelia ; one is the S. gibdosa, which was first described by Goldfuss under the name of 
