THE INNERVATION OF THE INTEGUMENT OF " 

 CHIROPTERA^ 



JAMES EDWARD ACKERT 



From the Zoological Laboratory of the University of Illinois 



TWENTY-ONE FIGURES (FOUR PLATES) 



CONTENTS 



Introduction 301 



Material and methods 302 



Observations and discussion 303 



General structure of the integument ■ 303 



1. Integument of the body 303 



2. Flying and interfemoral membranes 306 



Nerve layers of the integument 308 



1. Nerve layers of the body integument 308 



2. Nerve layers of the flying and interfemoral membranes 308 



Nerve endings in the integument 313 



1. Free nerve terminations in the epidermis 313 



2. Nerve endings on hairs 315 



3. Special sensory end-organs 321 



a. End-bulbs 322 



b. Terminal corpuscles 324 



4. Motor nerve endings on striated muscles : 325 



5. Nerve endings on modified sweat glands 327 



What sensory organs are concerned when blinded bats avoid obstacles 



while on the wing 328 



Summary 332 



Bibliography 334 



INTRODUCTION 



As is well known, the skin of bats is very sensitive to tactile 

 stimulation. These animals in captivity give vigorous responses 

 when various parts of their bodies and membranes are touched. 

 Even eighteenth century investigators thought the integument 

 of bats was especially adapted for the perception of delicate 



1 Contributions from the Zoological Laboratory of the University of Illinois, 

 under the direction of Henry B. Ward, No. 29. 



301 



JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY, VOL. 25, NO. 2 



