ORGAN OF CORTI. 



155 



and o). Its existence in the latter situation was, to a certain 

 extent, known to Corti. It appears in the form of a nucleated 

 mass of protoplasm, of various shape, which is firmly connected 

 with the substance of the pillar, and as the history of its 

 development teaches, is nothing but the nucleated remains of 

 some of the cells, from which the pillars are formed. In profile 



Fi- 327. 



Fig. 327. Isolated pillars, magnified 800 diameters. In all the 

 figures, a or a, represents the caput ; b or /3, the body ; c or 7, the foot 

 of the pillars. A, External pillar of Mus musculus, the caput seen 

 half en face from above ; the capitular lamina provided with a 

 phalangiform end. 5, Profile view of an internal and external pillar 

 of Mus musculus, in nearly natural position : /, capitular lamina of 

 the internal ; d, of the external pillars ; g, internal uncinate process 

 of the internal capitular lamina ; i, caput, with clear nu clear-like 

 mass and granular remains of protoplasm ; e, detached fragment 

 of protoplasm ; c, nucleus, with remains of protoplasm at the foot of 

 a pillar. (7, External surface of two internal pillars of the Mus mus- 

 culus, seen en face (lettering as in jB). D, Two internal pillars from 

 the Vesperugo noctula, magnified 600 diameters, in the same aspect. 

 The capitular laminae exhibit a distinct groove, and at I, a fine punc- 

 tation. The rest of the lettering as before. 



views, these cell-remains occupy the acute angle that each pillar 

 makes with the membrana basilaris. It is frequently observ- 

 able, as Bottcher first stated, (see also Hensen, 27,) that the 

 protoplasmic substance extends upon the membrana basilaris 

 from one pillar to the other (fig. 332, 7i). As remains of this 

 connecting bridge, threads are not unfrequently seen lying on 



