BRANCHES — BRANCHIAL NERVES OF FISHES 151 



recurrent branch similar to those recurrent branches of the 

 nervus mandibularis externus facialis that are sent to the organs 

 in the dorsal portion of the hyomandibular laterosensory canal, 

 or be the serial homologue of the rami supratemporales of the 

 glossopharyngeus and vagus nerves. 



Close to the ramus oticus another branch arises from the 

 lateralis-communis ganghon, contains both lateraUs and com- 

 munis fibers, and issues from the cranial cavity by a separate 

 foramen in the lateral wall of the chondrocranium. It then 

 runs upward for a short distance along the lateral wall of the 

 chondrocranium, again traverses the cartilage of the chondro- 

 cranium, and issues on its dorsal surface in the bottom of the 

 deep anterior end of the f-shaped groove above referred to, 

 slightly anterior to the ramus oticus. Like that nerve, it 

 then perforates an overhanging ledge of cartilage and supplies 

 certain organs in the dorsal end of the postorbital portion of the 

 main infraorbital laterosensory canal. 



The ramus buccalis, after having given off the two branches 

 above described, enters the trigeminus foramen along with the 

 general sensory and motor fibers of the nervus trigeminus, and 

 while traversing that foramen gives off a branch which, as it 

 issues from the cranium, is separated from the remainder of the 

 nerve by a small bar of cartilage. This branch contains both 

 lateralis and communis fibers, and separates into branches which 

 are distributed to nerve pits on the upper jaw. 



After giving off the above-mentioned nerve, the ramus buc- 

 calis, containing both lateralis and communis fibers, issues from 

 the trigeminus foramen and joins the nervus maxillaris trigemini, 

 its further course not being traced. 



From the extracranial general sensory ganglion of the nervus 

 a branch composed of motor and general sensory fibers is sent to 

 the musculus levator arcus palatini, and then the nerve sepa- 

 rates into its two parts, the rami mandibularis and maxillaris 

 trigemini. The former contains all the remaining motor fibers 

 of the nerve, together with general sensory fibers, and is cer- 

 tainly a typical ramus posttrematicus, notwithstanding that it 

 contains general sensory fibers in place of the communis or 



THE JOURNAL OP COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY, VOL. 32, NO. 2 



