62 MORRILL. [Vou. XIV. 
ing cells in a nearly perpendicular direction until about half the 
height of the epithelium was reached. At this point branches 
were given off extending horizontally at the base of the hair 
cells, and each was applied quite firmly to from three to five hair 
cells at their proximal ends. The determination of the exact 
relation existing between the nerve fibers and the hair cells was 
not accomplished, owing to the inadequate methods then in 
use. 
In the ear of man he describes a shell-like expansion of the 
nerve at the base of the hair cell in which these cells were sup- 
ported. In the pigeon’s ear he saw fine varicose nerve fibers 
ascending between the hair cells, as had been already observed 
by several investigators. 
That the relation of the nerve fibers to the hair cells was 
uncertain is shown in Retzius’ account of the auditory epithe- 
lium of the rabbit: “Ihre definitive Endigung an oder in den 
Haarzellen ist deshalb gewissermassen noch ein ungeloste 
Frage.” Again, in the account of the cat’s ear: “Es scheint 
also als ob die feinen Fibrillen sich dem Protoplasma Haarzellen 
anlegten und sich an demselbern einigermassen befestigten ob 
sie aber in dasselbe eindringen ist sehr schwer zu entscheiden.” 
Kaiser (91), with the Golgi method, found the nerves of the 
auditory epithelium ending in cup-like structures, which were 
hyaline and contained numerous highly refractive granules. 
The hair cells fit into these structures, as he says, like eggs in 
egg cups. 
Kaiser considers these cup-like structures as made up of 
nervous material, which form a connection between the nerves 
and hair cells. On this account he considers them of the 
greatest importance. 
Ayers (92) states that in the cochlea the sensory or hair 
cells are directly continuous with the fibers of the cochlear 
nerve. In a paper (93) devoted wholly to a study of the rela- 
tions of the auditory nerve and hair cells the previous statement 
is confirmed. ‘From the center of the base of each hair cell 
issues a nerve fiber which in a favorable case admits of being 
traced through a ganglion cell of the cochlear ganglion into the 
collection of fibers which pass to the brain.”” These fibers were 
