"NERVE TUFTS" ARE NOT TERMINAL ORGANS. 267 



be connected with the finer branches of the nerve- 

 fibres. In fact the so-called end-organ seems to consist 

 partly of broad fibres, partly of fine fibres formed by 

 the branching, spreading out, and coiling of the 

 fibres resulting from the subdivision of the original 

 nerve-fibres which enter into the formation of the 

 tuft, PI. XIII, figs. 1 and 2. Moreover, I have suc- 

 ceeded in demonstrating that, from various points of 

 the oval coils, branches pass off and run on the sur- 

 face of the sarcolemma, probably passing on to other 

 nerve-bundles. These fine fibres, which are repre- 

 sented in my drawings, have not been delineated, as 

 far as I am aware, by any previous observer, who 

 has examined these bodies. In connection with every 

 nerve-tuft there seem, indeed, to be 1, entering and 2, 

 emerging fibres ; note particularly the positive in- 

 stance represented in fig. 2, PL XIII, in which the 

 nerve- fibres can be traced to and from the " tuft " 

 most distinctly ; and in the majority of instances, 

 fine fibres may be traced from the tuft in several 

 different directions. 



" Nerve tufts " are^not terminal organs but networks. 

 The nerve-tuft consists of a complex network of 

 fibres, the meshes of which are very small. Connected 

 with the fine nerve-fibres are numerous masses of 

 bioplasm or nuclei. The plexus or network consti- 

 tuting the nerve-tuft is not terminal, nor does it 

 result from the branching of a single fibre, as has 

 been represented. Many fibres enter into its forma- 

 tion; and from various parts of it long fine fibres 

 pass off to be distributed upon the surface of the 

 sarcolemma. 



It seems most probable that at the situation of 

 these compressed coils (nerve tufts) the contraction 

 of the muscular fibre would commence, and that, 

 from the nerve-current traversing several fibres col- 

 lected over a comparatively small portion of muscle, 

 the contraction at these spots would be sudden and 



