NERVE FIBRES ON CAPILLARIES. • 309 



(Plates XIX and XX). Over the capillary vessels 

 of the mucous membrane of the frog's palate, these 

 fine nerve-fibres are easily demonstrated, and often- 

 times may be seen a complete plexus of delicate 

 nerve-fibres with numerous oval and triangular 

 masses of bioplasm connected with them. Upon the 

 capillary loop of the fungiform papilljB of the human 

 tongue (young subject) I have seen very fine nerve- 

 fibres in considerable number. Over the capillaries 

 of the ciliary processes of the eye fine nerve-fibres 

 ramify very freely. All these nerve-fibres are con- 

 nected with oval masses of bioplasm, which vary in 

 size and number in different animals and in different 

 tissues of the same animal. In some cases the bio- 

 plasts are separated by a considerable distance from 

 one another (-joth of an inch), but often they are not 

 more than -g-^th of an inch apart. At the point 

 where a fine branch divides into two others the mass 

 of bioplasm is triangular ; and specimens in which 

 four, or even five excessively delicate nerve-fibres 

 diverge from a mass of bioplasm with as many angles 

 is occasionally met with. Thus, as in other situations, 

 lax networks are formed, the meshes of which are 

 for the most part long and narrow. 



308. Central origin and peripheral connections of 

 nerve-flbres distributed to the capillaries. — As regards 

 the origin and connections of nerve-fibres ramifying 

 upon the capillary vessels, I have some important 

 facts to record, 



1. In many instances, particularly in the fibrous 

 membrane about the bladder of the frog", I have 

 followed fine nerve-fibres from ganglion cells to the 

 smallest arteries, where they form a plexus from 

 which pass branches direct to the capillaries. 



2. I have traced nerves direct from the ganglia 

 embedded in connective fibrous tissue to the capil- 

 laries. 



3. One of my specimens proves that a fine nerve- 



