1865.] Distribution of Nerves to Striped Muscle. 245 



important point, viz. that the supposed network (as seen in this scheme) 

 had not heen conclusively demonstrated over the frog's muscular fibres gene- 

 rally. Near the point where the dark-bordered fibre divided to form pale 

 fibres, a network was demonstated as is here shown, but it could not in many 

 instances be traced for any great distance from this point. The following 

 points, however, seem to me to have been established in this memoir : 



1. That the nerve-fibres, as I had already stated and as was confirmed 

 by Kolliker, were outside the sarcolemma. 



2. That the fibres might be followed for a greater distance from the 

 dark-bordered fibre than they had been traced before, if the specimens were 

 prepared according to the new method of investigation which I described. 



3. The fine pale fibres were proved to be composed of several finer fibres, 

 which resulted from the division of the dark-bordered fibre, and the pale 

 fibres in the sheath of the nerve, which were also demonstrated for the first 

 time. 



4. Contrary to the statements of Continental observers, it was proved 

 that the elementary muscular fibres of the frog were crossed at numerous 

 points by nerve-fibres, and that the nervous supply to each elementary mus- 

 cular fibre was much more free and uniform than was supposed. This fact 

 may be demonstrated more especially in the thin muscles of the eye and in 

 the mylohyoid of the frog. 



Not satisfied with these results, I examined numerous other muscles of 

 the frog and other animals, in the hope of being able to demonstrate the 

 finest nerve-fibres in every part of their course over the sarcolemma, but 

 was not able to obtain any muscle in the common frog sufficiently thin to 

 trace the finest branches over a very considerable extent of surface. In 

 the mylohyoid of the Hyla, however, I found a muscle eminently adapted 

 for this investigation; and on June 5th, 1863, I presented a paper (pub- 

 lished in the ' Proceedings') to the Royal Society upon the arrangement of 

 the nerves in this beautiful muscle. I have prepared many specimens in 

 which the nerve can be followed from one undoubted nerve-trunk to another, 

 dividing and subdividing in its course, so as to form with other nerves a 

 lax network of compound nucleated fibres, which compound fibres are often 

 less than the g^^ of an inch in diameter. 



The arrangement will be understood by reference to this drawing, which 

 explains itself. I believe that no other explanation of the appearances 

 observed in these specimens, than the one I have adopted, can be offered. 

 In some of the muscles at the root of the tongue, the same arrangement 

 has been demonstrated most distinctly. 



More recently I have again studied the elementary muscular fibres from 

 the breast-muscle of the frog, and have succeeded, in many cases, in tracing 

 the fine granular nucleated fibres for a considerable distance. Near the 

 margin of the muscle, I have recently succeeded in following a very fine 

 fibre, resulting from the subdivision of a dark-bordered fibre, into fibres 

 prolonged from what appear to be connective-tissue-corpuscles. The nuclei 



