Herrick, Medulla Oblongata of Fishes. 417 



ary gustatory nucleus altogether. This is further justified by the 

 fact that in some other fishes the descending secondary gustatory 

 tract from the facial lobe ends chiefly in the median nucleus. 



The lateral funicular nucleus is much less compact than the 

 median nucleus and is permeated throughout by medulkted fibers 

 in diffuse formation, many of which accumulate on its dorsal bor- 

 der and cross to the opposite side in the somatic portion of the 

 commissura infima dorsally of the commissural fibers from the 

 median nucleus (Fig. 4). Some fascicles of the dorso-lateral 

 fasciculus appear to pass through the lateral nucleus to enter the 

 commissure, where they cross to the opposite side, without being 

 interrupted in the nucleus. This nucleus receives fibers from the 

 dorso-lateral fasciculus of the spinal cord, as we sawabove. These 

 are doubtless ascending tracts bearing tactile impressions from the 

 spinal cord. It also receives collaterals from the fibers of the spinal 

 V tract and direct root fibers from the general cutaneous root of the 

 vagus and fibers arising from cells of the substantia gelatinosa 

 Rolandi of the oblongata. Long dendrites of its cells extend out 

 into the substantia gelatinosa. 



Under the caudal end of the vagal lobe both funicular nuclei dis- 

 appear; but a considerable mass of medullated fibers extends far- 

 ther cephalad from the median nucleus into the formatio reticu- 

 laris. A considerable bundle of feebly medullated fibers extends 

 cephalad from the lateral nucleus also (Fig. 6, n.fti.l.) and con- 

 stitutes the chief efferent path from this nucleus. This tract 

 rapidly diminishes cephalad and evidently contains large numbers 

 of ascending fibers for the oblongata. It sends strong fascicles of 

 internal arcuate fibers into the ventral commissure, as well as fibers 

 to the formatio reticularis and motor nuclei of the same side. A 

 small residue can be traced as far forward as the level of the facial 

 lobe, where it is lost in the surrounding tracts. 



We may summarize the efi^erent tracts from the cornu dorsalis, 

 nucleus spinalis trigemini, substantia gelatinosa Rolandi and the 

 median and lateral funicular nuclei together, as they are of com- 

 mon type. (The tuberculum acusticum might well be added to 

 the list; but as its connections are somewhat more special and as 

 these features bear no relation to our present problem, these tracts 

 will not be considered in this paper.) The common eff'erent tracts 

 from the somatic sensory centers of the lower oblongata are as 

 follows : 



