The Cranial Nerves of Varanus brwiutatus. 
By 
Grace B. Watkinson. 
With plates XI—XIl. 
Introduction. 
The subject of the eranial nerves of reptiles, although very im- 
portant in conneetion with the study of the phylogenetie development 
of the nervous system of higher forms, has been much neglected by 
investigators. The one work which makes any attempt at a complete 
survey of the subject is that of Fischer '52, which, while it covers 
the field broadly, as regards the number and variety of forms stu- 
died, is for the same reason not thorough in its investigation of in- 
dividual forms, and in many instances is very incomplete.. The 
drawings are diagrammatie and do not show the relation of the 
nerves to other parts of the body; for instance, the distribution of 
vagus in the trunk region is not described at all; and there are 
other important deficiencies. However, this work, though of so 
early a date, is still used as the main authority on the subject of - 
the reptilian eranial nerves. This is shown, at least up to 14 years 
ago, in BRonN’s »Klassen und Ordnungen des Thierreichs« where, 
in the volume on reptiles (by C. K. Horrmann ’90) the section on 
cranial nerves is mainly based on FıscHEr’s work. And I can find 
nothing of importance on this special subject since. 
A few other works treating of special nerves, or groups of 
nerves, have been published, among which is to be mentioned the 
work of Bennz ’43. In this there is a series of drawings showing 
the distribution of vagus in the trunk region as well as the relations 
of the other posterior eranial nerves with their respective parts. 
The drawings, however, are small and, like the text, are incompleie 
