THE RAMUS LATERALIS ACCESSORIUS. 243 



already partially treated (under Section 5, VIII). These 

 may comprise the general cutaneous rami for the skin, as 

 described by the older writers, and communis fibres for 

 terminal buds, as described by Allis ('97), besides the 

 ramus supra-temporalis proper for the lateral line organs 

 (see Section 5, X, i). The three classes of fibres may be 

 variously fused. In Menidia we have seen that the 

 general cutaneous fibres arise separately from the jugular 

 ganglion and pursue their devious ways to the skin with- 

 out at any point coming into relation with the lateral line 

 nerve. It is improbable that any fibres, except lateralis 

 fibres, enter the r. supra-temporalis vagi, save the com- 

 munis component from the anastomosing ramus from the 



IX root. 



From the rather inharmonious accounts of Stannius and 

 Baudelot it is clear that fusions of other sorts may occur 

 in the bony fishes. In Fierasfer, Emery ('80) describes 

 the r. supra-temporalis vagi (lateralis) and the r. opercu- 

 laris vagi (general cutaneous) as fused. In Amia (Allis, 

 '89, p. 518), the r. supra-temporalis vagi (lateralis system) 

 and the ramus cutaneous dorsalis are distinct, though 

 closely associated. The latter probably contains both 

 general cutaneous and communis fibres. 



The r. supra-temporalis X and the r. supra-temporalis 

 IX, both lateralis nerves, may be present at the same 

 time (Amia, Allis '89 and '97) so that these cannot be 

 regarded as the same nerve, sometimes going out with the 



X nerve, sometimes with the IX. Both are present also 

 in Laemargus, as we learn from Ewart and Cole ('95, p. 

 475). It is a most remarkable fact that according to their 

 description the r. supra-temporalis vagi supplies the 

 organs of the occipital commissure and several organs of 

 the main line cephalad of it, while the supra-temporalis IX 



