TO THE MUSCLES OF INSECTS. 259 



delicate, and their structural elements so minute, that 

 the difficulty of demonstration is very great. Kiihne's 

 memoir, published in the year 1860, related to the dis- 

 tribution of nerves to the muscles of Rydropliilus piceus 

 (Dytiscus). He represented the nerve as perforating 

 the sarcolemma, and as distributed almost in a hrusJi- 

 like manner to the contractile tissue. Subsequently 

 he thought the nerve was connected with the line of 

 muscular nuclei ; but it was obvious that these were 

 muscle nuclei, and not connected with nerves at all. 

 The view was therefore abandoned, but some other 

 observers have fallen into the same error. Although 

 I have examined the muscles of many insects, and 

 especially those of the Hydrofhiliis, I have been quite 

 unable to confirm the conclusions concerning the 

 brush-like distribution of the nerves. 



283. Distribution of iieryes to the muscles of the 

 maggot.' — For illustrating the distribution of nerves 

 to the muscles of insects, I will select the common 

 maggot, the larva of the blowfly. This insect can 

 be obtained in all countries at almost all seasons of 

 the year. 



By reference to my drawings, it will be noticed that 

 my conclusions accord in the most important par- 

 ticulars with those arrived at in my earher investiga- 

 tions. The drawing out of the sarcolemma into a 

 sort of eminence at the point where the nerve com- 

 mences to ramify over it, is well seen. This has 

 been mistaken for a special organ by Kiihne (Xerven- 

 hiigel) ; and it has been inferred that the nei've per- 

 forated the sarcolemma at this point. 



In his paper in the ' Comptes rendus ' for J^ovem- 

 ber 21, 1864, M. Rouget in part confirms my 

 statements rearardins; the structure of Kiilme's 

 " Doyere'schen Nervenhiigel, " and states that, at the 

 Nervenhiig'el, the nerve fibre divides into two fine 

 fibres, which may be traced for some distance, but 

 then terminate. " Leui' extremite terminale est 



