ScHAPER, Structure of Selachian Cerebellum. 7 



While the cells vary in form, yet the neuraxons in all 

 the cells observed by me have essentially the same behavior. 

 The nervous process soon loses its individuality through the 

 giving off of very numerous lateral branches and is resolved a 

 short distance from the cell body into its terminal arborization. 

 Thus all the cells of the molecular layer belong to the so-called 

 " Golgt type." In course and Jiiode of distribution, however, the 

 ramifications of these axis-cylinders display a certain variability; 

 we find axis-cylinders which proceed horizontally a short dis- 

 tance and thereby give off lateral branches outward and inward 

 (Plate I, figs. 3 and 7), others which descend and soon are lost 

 in their terminal arborizations (Plate I, figs. 6 and 8) and 

 others again which run outward in wide curves and then fall 

 into more or less numerous terminal branches which mostly ex- 

 tend toward the surface (Plate I, figs. 4 and 5). 



The question now arises: What relation do these 7ietvous 

 processes bear to the Purkinje cells ? We know definitely that in 

 the higher vertebrates, a least, a certain number of the cells of 

 the molecular layer, the so-called " basket cells " enter into 

 very close relation with the bodies of the Purkinje cells, em- 

 bracing the latter with tassel-like terminal arborizations. Be- 

 sides these, another group of cells of the molecular layer has 

 long been known under the name of the "star shaped'' or 

 " small cortical cells" about whose axis-cylinder little was actu- 

 ally known. Stohr (7) first succeeded about a year ago in dem- 

 onstrating in silver-preparations of the human cerebellum well 

 developed nervous processes on the "small cortical cells" 

 also, whose terminal arborizations behave toward the Purkinje 

 cells very much as the basket cells do, but without forming the 

 typical basket of fibers. Stohr is thereby inclined to abandon 

 the division of the cells of the molecidar layer into basket cells and 

 small cortical cells and to unite them all in one group with the 

 common chaiacter that all, notivitJistanding great dijferences of 

 form, display the tendency to enter into close cotttact with the bodies 

 of Purkinje cells by means of the 7'amifications of their axis- cylin- 

 ders. In this view Stohr finds himself in agreement with Dogiel 

 (i) and KoUiker who shortly before had similarly expressed 



