ii JouRNAL OF ComPARATIVE NEUROLOGY. 
The Morphological Position of the Chorda Tympani in Reptiles. 
It is generally agreed that the Eustachean tube and tympanic 
cavity of the higher vertebrates are morphological derivatives of the 
spiracular cleft of the lower fishes. If the chorda tympani of human 
anatomy runs down cephalad of the tympanic cavity, as commonly 
taught, then the precursor of this nerve in the fishes, if such there be, 
should be pre-spiracular. ALLis } has lately called in question the pre- 
spiracular (pre-tympanic) character of the mammalian chorda and of 
course the homologous nerve cannot be sought in the fishes until this point 
is determined. Since the mammalian chorda pursues an exceedingly 
tortuous course and one difficult of interpretation, it is worth while to 
notice the conditions in the reptiles. 
VERSLUYS in his recent extensive paper ? describes and figures 
these relations in several types of Lacertilia and Rhynchocephalia and 
comes to this general conclusion: ‘‘ Die chorda tympani geht vom 
Facialis meist an der Stelle ab, wo dieser sich mit dem eben beschrie- 
benen sympathischen Nerven verbindet, das ist caudal von der Columella 
und an der inneren dorsalen Ecke des Kérpers des Quadratums. Sie 
reicht dann langs der dorsalen und vorden Baukenhéhlenwand auf der 
medialen Flache des in die Paukenhdhle vorspringenden Quadratkér- 
pers bis zum Unterkiefer.” The detailed descriptions and figures 
make it very plain that the chorda tympani of reptiles is pre-tympanic 
and therefore morphologically pre-spiracular; and in the absence of 
very definite proof to the contrary, we must assume the same condi- 
tion to prevail among the mammals also. C. Si 0aH. 
Mendel and Jacobsohn’s Jahresbericht; Fifth Issue.* 
The issue of this Annual for 1901 reaches us early in 1903 and, like 
its predecessors, is an indispensable aid to all research workers in all 
departments of neurology and psychiatry. The plan of the work is 
the same as in previous issues. 
1 ALLIs, E. P. The Lateral Sensory Canals, the Eye-muscles and the 
peripheral Distribution of certain of the Cranial Nerves of Mustelus laevis. 
Quart. Journ. Micro, Sct., XLV. 2, 1901. 
2 VerRsSLuys, J. Die mittlere und Aussere Ohrsphare der Lacertilia und 
Rhynchocephalia. Zool. Jahr., Abt. f. Amat., XII, 1899. 
3 Jahresbericht tiber die Leistungen und Fortschritte auf dem Gebiete der 
Neurologie and Psychiatrie. V. Jahrgang. Bericht iiber das Jahr 1gor. 
Berlin, S. Karger, 1902. 
