298 



H. H. WILDER, 



branchialiss s. Dorso-trachealis) while the ventral piece^ 

 Laryngeus ventralis, would be a portion of his Hyo- pharyn- 

 gé us (i. e. the sheet formed by the two muscles, Pharyngo- 

 branchialis 3 4). 



His claims are as follows, "Der Laryngeus ventralis erscheint 

 wie eine dorsale Portion des Hyo-pharyngeus. Der Laryngeus dor- 

 salis, der auch bei Proteus völlig den Faserverlauf des Dorso- 

 pharyngeus fortsetzt, steht bei Menohranchus in continuirlichem 

 Zusammenhang mit Theilen des Muskels" (No. 6, p. 53). I have 

 carefully examined two complete series of transverse sections of the 

 larynx of Necturus and find that Göppert's claim of the "continu- 

 irlichen Zusammenhang" of the Laryugei with the pharyngeal sheets 

 is not supported by them. In each series and in every section the 

 two sets of muscles appear entirely separate and distinct, every fibre 

 of the Laryngei arising from the flat surface of the cartilage or from 

 the connective tissue which partly replaces it posteriorly. Sections of 

 the larynx of Proteus have unfortunately not been at my disposal but 

 the words of Göppert as quoted above, are not as positive as in the 

 case of Necturus. His farther claims for a similar origin based upon. 



Fig. B. 

 Ventral [cardiac) 



Lat Lg D. 



Dorsal [Pharyngeal) 



Transverse section from a series through the larynx of Necturus. Lat. Cartilaga 

 lateralis; Lg.V, Laryngeus ventralis; Lg. D. Laryngeus dorsalis ; V^ Pharyngo-branchi- 

 alis^. 



a similar action is in the first i)lace an incorrect one, and secondly 

 it cannot be conceded that a similar! physiological action is any 

 ground u})on which to base an assumjjtion of homology. After re- 

 ferring to the fact that the fibres of the two sets run in the same 

 direction, which is certainly not so, he says, " sie (die Laryngei) 



