Literary Notices. iii 



of a centre of conscious life in the frontal lobes and of a "polygone de 

 I'equilibration" analogous to Jackson's middle level. 



The clinical and physiological discussions are very graphic and 

 worth reading. a.m. 



Eptlepisy, Hysteria and Idiocy.' 



As its predecessors, this volume gives an annual report on the 

 service of Bicetre and the Fondation Vallee, and the special classes for 

 backward children. The second part contains a number of medical 

 contributions, partly etiological, partly clinical, partly anatomical, none 

 of which are of special importance from the point of view of compara- 

 tive neurology, but of value to the worker on idiocy. a. m. 



AUls on the Cranial Nerves and Sense Organs of Mnstelns.' 



This important contribution to selachian morphology is based 

 chiefly upon the study of three embryos in section, 36 mm., 55 mm., 

 and 132 mm. in length respectively. It comprises 150 pages with three 

 plates and shows the same conscientious attention to minute anatomical 

 detail which characterizes Allis' previous papers, and much of morpho- 

 logical value is brought out. 



In the discussion of the eye-muscle nerves the facts which have 

 come to light since he published his Amia paper in 1897 are reviewed. 

 I think that all students who have devoted any special attention to 

 these intricate problems will agree with his concluding remark : "It is 

 evident that it is useless to speculate on the subject until further facts 

 have been accumulated." 



On p. 178 he summarizes his evidence for pre-oral branchial arches 

 as follows : There are thus two pre-oral arches indicated in embryos of 

 Mustelus. In each arch there are what are considered by Gegknbaur 

 as remnants of the cartilages of the arch, and I now further find not 

 only muscles definitely related to one of the arches, but also nerves 

 that certainly might be considered as the pre- and post-trematic branches 

 of each arch. The nervus trigeminus would then be a nerve formed 

 by the fusion of at least three segmental nerves, and the ramus maxil- 

 laris superior trigemini would probably contain the pharyngeal elements 



^ Recherches Cliniques et Therapeutiques sur I'Epilepsie, I'Hystene et 

 I'Idiotie. Par Bourneville, Paris, Progres Medical, Vol. XXI, 1901, 



* Allis, E. P. The Lateral Sensory Canals, the Eye-muscles and the 

 Peripheral Distribution of Certain of the Cranial Nerves of Mustelus laevis. 

 Quart. Jour. Micro, Set., XLV, 2, 1901. 



