HAMITES. 



TESTA cylindrica, vel subcylindrica, elongata, 

 attenuata,hamiformis,concamerata5 marginibus 

 septorum sinuosis, siphone dorsali. 



Another remarkable Genus of shells belonging as is 

 supposed to the cephalopodous Mollusea, and related in 

 some respects to Ammonites. It was proposed by Parkin- 

 son to include some singular polythalamous fossils found 

 in the Chalk Marie, near Folkstone, but it has since become 

 more important, by the addition of some larger species 

 from other localities and various beds. The fine specimen 

 we have represented is from the Baculite Limestone at 

 Fresville in the vicinity of Valognes, in Normandy. The 

 Hamites difi^er from the Ammonites in not forming a 

 spiral discoid, and from Baculite in being bent, and form- 

 ing two nearly parallel limbs, not quite contiguous to 

 each other. Our account of this Genus must necessarily 

 be incomplete, for neither of the terminations have ever 

 been seen : as far as we know it may be distinguished as 

 a cylindrical or nearly cylindrical shell, which is elon- 

 gated, attenuated, and bent into the form of ahook, (whence 

 its name,) its chambers are numerous, and the margins of 

 the dissepiments sinuous, its siphunculus is dorsal. 



The Hamites occur in the Chalk Marie, and in the 

 Chalk, particularly in Kent and Sussex. 



