ORGANS OF TASTE. 33 



true ethmoidal cells appear to be met with here, which are wanting 

 in the rest of the typical Whales. 



In the Dolphins, the spouting apparatus has been accurately de- 

 scribed. Behind the velum palati the inferior part of the nasal canal, 

 which is here single, can be shut off from the pharynx by a strong 

 circular muscle (Muse, pharyngo-palatinus v. constrictor isthmi 

 faucium superior). Further, superiorly above and behind the bony 

 palate, the nasal canal is as usual divided by a septum, and each 

 of the two passages thus formed receives the Eustachian tube of 

 its side, and terminates, as the external nasal aperture, upon the 

 skull in front of the forehead. The blowing apparatus with its pe- 

 culiar cavities here lies upon the bones. The nasal canal passes 

 immediately into two anterior and two posterior cavities, lying one 

 over the other ; the covering of these is formed by a couple of pro- 

 jecting folds or valves, one arising from the anterior, one from the 

 posterior wall, and which leave between them a narrow transverse 

 fold. Above the valves there lies a simple flask-shaped cavity, the 

 neck of which passes into the external blow-hole, which communi- 

 cates upon either side in front and externally with the double Tapa- 

 cious and rounded spouting sacs, each of which presents upon its 

 basis strong parallel rib-shaped elevations (plications of its fibrous 

 coat) ; all the parts of this external apparatus are lined with a hard, 

 dry epithelium, and are formed of a thin fibrous tissue. The whole 

 apparatus is surrounded by muscles which lie beneath the integu- 

 ment and fat, and form several layers which probably dilate the blow- 

 hole. 



Organs of Taste. 



The tongue in the Mammalia, as in Man, serves as an instru- 

 ment of taste ; in relation, however, to size, form, structure, and 

 development of epithelium, degree of mobility, &c., it exhibits great 

 differences. In the true Cetacea it is but slightly moveable, flat, 

 depressed, smooth and without gustatory papillae ; this is the case 

 also in the Dugongand Sea-cow (Manatus). In many Edentata, e.g. 

 Myrmecophaga, Manis, and such like, it is very long and vermiform, 

 smooth and viscous. In the Ornithorynchus it is covered in front 

 with large, hard, horny spines, behind with soft villi ; in the Cats 

 among the Carnivora, with very pointed horny spines, capable of 

 tearing ; among the Cheiroptera, at least in Pteropus, partly^ with 

 similar trident-shaped corneous spines, as sheaths to the papillae. 

 Most animals have a soft tongue covered with papillae, of which 



3 



