BRACHIOPODA. 
211 
hinge-plate medially divided and without cardinal process. Externally the 
shells are strongly plicate with broad, low fold and sinus, and abrupt anterior 
slope. 
As far as the structure of the species of Rhynchopora is understood, the 
complete punctation of the shell must be regarded as the only reliable differ¬ 
ential from earlier rhynchonellid groups. The appearance of this character 
late in the palaeozoic history of the RnYNcnoNELLiu^ suggests its similar mani¬ 
festation in some of the Spirifers of the Carboniferous, in Syringothyris and 
in Spiriferina. Future study may show that the inner shell laminae of the 
early rhynchonellids is not uniformly impunctate, and should this be demon¬ 
strated, the appearance in this group of a highly punctated shell like Rhyn¬ 
chopora will be more readily intelligible. 
It has been suggested by (Ehlert that the term Rhynchoporina may be used 
in preference to King’s term Rhynchopora, on the ground that the latter had 
been previously used by Latreille for a genus of Coleoptera. The latter 
author’s term appears to be not Rhynchopora, but Rhynchophora, and as the 
words are etymologically distinct, it seems best not to disturb Dr. King’s 
term. 
