CoGHiLL, Cranial Neii'cs of Aniblystoma. 237 



posed entirely of communis fibers, leaves the trunk a little be- 

 yond the last point of branching. It passes cephalad and a little 

 laterad immediately beneath the ear capsule nearly to the 

 anterior border of the latter. Here it meets the r. palatinus 

 caudalis VII and forms Jacobson's anastomosis as described on 

 page 230. This branch sends twigs also laterad to the epithe- 

 lium of the pharynx. Some of its exceedingly small twigs may 

 fuse with the twigs of the r. palatinus VII, or with the r. alveo- 

 laris VII. Such twigs, however, have been observed in but 

 one instance. 



The r. pre-tnnnaticus IX {prt. IX) arises either separately 

 near the second branch or by fibers derived from both the 

 second branch and the main trunk. It is a small nerve of small 

 thinly medullated fibers. Its course is latero-cephalad, ventraliy 

 of the m. depressor mandibulae, to the caudal end of the hyoid 

 bar. Here it sometimes anastomoses with facialis "A" (see 

 page 228). The nerve then enters the hyoid arch in a position 

 dorsal of the mesial margin of the cartilage. It continues far 

 cephalad in this position and seems to innervate the taste buds 

 with which the region is liberally supplied, although no absolute 

 contact with them has been observed. 



In the region of the first m. levator arcus branchii, the 

 glossopharyngeus gives a motor branch (not figured) to this 

 muscle. A little farther on it sends a small fifl/i raimis {IX, ^^ 

 ventrad a short distance to anastomose with the r, pre-trematicus 

 of the first t. branchialis vagi. 



As the glossopharyngeus begins to turn ventrad to enter 

 the gill arch, it sends off the sixth j-amus {IXy6) which continues 

 caudad laterally of the distal portion of the first epibranchial bar 

 and anastomoses with the fifth ramus of the first t. branchialis 

 vagi. The general appearance of this nerve, and the fact that 

 it is the only possible avenue for a typical distribution of the 

 general cutaneous fibers known to be in the trunk at this point, 

 lead me to believe that this is a purely general cutaneous nerve. 

 A comparison with a corresponding ramus of the second t, 

 branchialis vagi, also, seems to substantiate this view. Before 

 the nerve fuses with the branch of the vagus, it sends fibers to 

 the skin over the base of the first external g^ill. 



