540 journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology. 



general cutaneous branches and of the nasahs internus collectively 

 corresponds to that of the piscine ramus ophthalmicus superficialis 

 V. 



e. The ventral trunk of the facial nerve. — As the ventral division 

 of the facial nerve leaves the acustico-facialis ganglion complex 

 it consists of lateralis, communis and motor fibers. As above 

 noted, the lateral line fibers are derived from the dorsal and ventral 

 rootlets of the dorsal division of the facial nerve. In this acustico- 

 facial ganglion are three distinct groups of cells: (i) the large 

 lateralis ganglion cells of the lateral line component. These are 

 situated mostly on the anterior and dorsal borders of the complex. 

 (2) Small cells of the geniculate ganglion, situated on the anterior 

 mesal border of the complex. (3) Medium sized acustic cells, 

 situated at the posterior and along the dorsal border of the gan- 

 glionic mass. Of these the cells of the vestibular branch of the 

 VIII nerve are larger and situated anterior to the others. 



/. Ramus palatinus VII. — There is first given ofi^ from the 

 ventral facial trunk the r. palatinus of communis fibers from the 

 geniculate ganglion. The palatine runs anteriorly and shortly 

 after its emergence from the cranium receives an anastomosing 

 branch from the r. pretrematicus IX. This anastomosing branch 

 is Jacobson's commissure, of communis fibers. The anastomo- 

 sis of the r. palatinus with the r. ophthalmicus profundus V has 

 been already noticed. In Amblystoma according to Coghill 

 there occurs a ganglion on the r. palatinus at the junction of its 

 lateral division with the lateral division of the trigeminal branch. 

 In Amphiuma there seems to be a ganglion on the palatine nerve 

 shortly before the anastomosis with the trigeminus is reached. 

 From this region (fig. 26) are given off a number of small nerves 

 some of which pass to the roof of the mouth and the median 

 series of teeth. Some of these small nerves contain general 

 cutaneous as well as communis fibers, but the exact composition 

 of all of them was not determined. 



g. The ramus alveolaris VII. — The second branch given off 

 from the ventral facial trunk is the r. alveolarisof communis fibers. 

 From the r. pretrematicus IX it receives two anastomosing branches 

 {alv. (i) and (2)). Near the angle of the jaw it gives off a small 

 branch {alv. (j)) that passes mesally, ventral to the quadrate carti- 

 lage, to the roof of the mouth. There seem to be no peculiarities 

 about the distribution of the alveolaris in Amphiuma. It divides 



