Literacy Notices. v 



It is evident from the above, then, that the lateral line portion of 

 the VII, arising by two roots, has three main branches : the superficial 

 ophthalmic, the buccal and the external mandibular, and that the facial 

 proper, arising apparently by a single root, has also three main branches: 

 a pharyngeal or visceral (palatine), a pre-branchial (which Cole regards 

 as the chorda tympani) and a post-branchial. 



One tact that attracts attention here is the extremely ventral posi- 

 tion of one of the lateral line roots, being considerably ventral to the 

 auditory. Whether this really offers any morphological difficulties can 

 only be determined after a microscopical examination of the medulla. 

 It may be further pointed out that the root of the facial proper — VII3 — 

 is almost unquestionably a compound root. Sections of the medulla at 

 this level will in all probability reveal the fact that a portion of its fibers 

 are motor, arising from a motor nucleus, and a portion (sensory) be- 

 long to the " fasciculus communis " system. The former would pass 

 into the post-spiracular, the latter principally into the palatine and 

 pre-spiracular branches. 



The palatine nerve innervates the roof of the mouth and the teeth 

 of the upper jaw. The pre-spiracular branch pierces the cranium to 

 the external wall of the pharynx, proceeds to the lower jaw, giving off 

 pharygeal branches, and is distributed to the outer wall of the pharynx 

 and to the ventral part of the inner wall of the pharynx as far mesad as 

 the mid-ventral line. It also receives an anastomosing branch from the 

 post-branchial. The post-branchial nerve divides mto two portions. 

 One of these innervates the extensor of the hyoid arch and gives off a 

 twig which anastomoses with the pre-spiracular. The other division 

 supplies the superficial muscles of the opercular fold and of the body 

 wall overlying the gill clefts in front of the opercular fold, and between 

 the latter and the mouth. 



The superficial ophthalmic nerve innervates the 27 (in the specimen 

 examined) organs of the supra-orbital canal with the exception of the 

 I2th and 13th, which are the two above referred to, which are supplied 

 by the profundus. It also innervates the superficial ophthalmic group of 

 ampullae. Its large ganghon lies in the wall of the cranium. The buccal 

 arises, as above mentioned, apparently exclusively from the dorsal 

 lateral line root, though the possibility of its receiving some fibers from 

 the other lateral root is not entirely excluded. Its large ganglion like- 

 wise lies in the wall of the cranium. On entering the orbit, it gives off 

 the ramus oticus which supplies the first 8 sense organs of the infra- 

 orbital line and the most ventral of the ampullae opening upon the sur- 

 face by the large occipital pores, the remainder of these ampullte being 



