306 
XODELEA. 
Char. — Zoarimn a broad tube. Zooeoial characters doubtful, and the species 
may be a Biastopora. 
Distrib. — Cenomanian : Kank, Bohemia. 
NODELEA, d’Orbigny, 1853,^ m. 
Synonyms. 
Xoddca, pars, d’Orbigny, 1853. 
Melicertites, pars, d’Orbigny, 1853; Pergens, 1890. 
Diagnosis. 
Eleidae with an erect zoariiim of cylindrical branches, composed 
of a single bundle of zooecia. Gonoecia ovoid ; lateral. 
Avicularia absent. Closed zooecia numerous. 
Type Species. 
Nodelea semiluna, d’Orbigny, 1853. Senonian and Turonian : 
Prance. 
Afeinitees. 
This genus was founded by d’Orbigny for Eleidse with cylindrical 
branches composed of a single bundle of zooecia, and provided 
with prominent external ‘ cellules ovariennes.’ As Pergens has 
remarked, the existence of these stnictures, which is the only 
point of separation from Meliceritites^ is useless as a generic 
character. Pergens accordingly treated Nodelea as a synonym of 
3Ieliceritites. But this course makes that genus very cumbrous ; 
and those species without avicularia may be conveniently kept 
distinct under d’Orbigny’ s name. 
The presence or absence of avicularia has usually been regarded 
as one of the essential differences between the Cyclostomata and 
the Cheilostomata. Hence to treat it as a generic character among 
the Eleidae is hardly to exaggerate its importance. 
The genus is one of the nearest of the Eleidae to Haplooecia, 
with which it agrees in the Entalophoridan habit and the absence 
of avicularia; it differs, however, by the existence of numerous 
closed zooecia. 
1 Bry. Cret. p. 608. 
