CRANIAL NERVES OF SIREN LACERTINA 301 
profundus and maxillaris V, as previously described (p. 281). 
The main palatine nerve, which has at this level a position ventral 
to the lateral wing of the parasphenoid, divides near the trans- 
verse level of the anterior wall of the eyeball, one division (pal.1a) 
continuing anteriorly, ventral to the parasphenoid, approaching 
nearer and nearer to the middle line (figs. 6, 5) until it meets its 
fellow of the other side, when a fusion takes place. From this 
union two nerves arise, one dorsal and the other ventral, which 
pass anteriorly in the middle line, supplying chiefly blood vessels 
in the roof of the mouth. The other larger division (pal.1), 
shifting laterally, forms with the profundus and maxillary con- 
stituents the medial portion of the profundus-palatine anasto- 
mosis. The character of this anastomosis has been described 
on page 282. 
The palatine nerve is thus seen to have divided into a lateral 
branch (pal.2) which runs into the lateral part of the nasal cap- 
sule, sharing in the lateral portion of the anastomosis as above 
described, and into a medial portion (pal.1) which contributes to 
the medial part of the anastomosis and runs anteriorly along the 
medial wall of the nasal capsule. From the anastomosis the med- 
ial combined nerve extends along the lateral border of the inter- 
nasal cartilage and ventral to the lateral line nerve which has 
come from the buccalis-profundus anastomosis. In the anterior 
nasal region it divides into two branches, medial and lateral, 
which are distributed to the medial and lateral dorsal walls of 
the mouth (fig. 4). 
12. Palatinus caudalis 
From the main communis trunk as it leaves the skull (fig. 12) 
there is given off posteriorly a small nerve, the posterior palatine 
of Wilder, which may be joined by a small posterior branch of 
the ramus palatinus (or ramus alveolaris), although there may be 
no anastomosis of the two. In addition a small nerve may leave 
the geniculate ganglion a little posterior to the point where the 
main communis trunk emerges, which passing out through its 
own foramen in the petrosal cartilage, runs posteriorly into the 
vicinity of the two nerves mentioned above. From these nerves 
