^O AYERS. [Vol. VI. 



to be non-sensory in character. Hitherto, at any rate, they 

 have been classed as supporting cells and non-sensory. They 

 have never been shown to have hairs upon their cell caps, 

 though these same cell tops separate from the cells much as the 

 tops of the genuine hair cells do. They have never been shown 

 to have nerve connection, though it is difficult to understand 

 why they should be so well developed and in such abundance 

 if they have no function beyond forming a ridge-like body ; 

 for it cannot be longer seriously held, I think, that all these 

 strongly developed cells, forming more than half the bulk of the 

 ridge of Corti, are merely supporting cells. Why should the 

 organ need so much "support" on one side only.'' The cells 

 are found only on one side in abundance, and on the side where 

 they are fewest embryology shows us they are the degraded 

 hair and supporting cells of an atrophied sense organ. In some 

 parts of the Cortian auditory ridge these cells appear hyper- 

 trophied as compared with the hair cells themselves. If they are 

 not all supporting cells, may not some have a sensory function, 

 since they belong to a ridge supplied abundantly with nerves } 

 I think it more than probable that renewed search will show 

 that these cells are, part of them, connected with the fibres of 

 the auditory nerve, and perhaps bearers of sensory apparatus 

 on their upper ends. A careful analysis of the elements of 

 Loevvenberg's net and the membrana reticularis may reveal 

 more than we yet know of the nature of these numerous well- 

 developed cells. 



The second topic is that of the peripheral endings of the 

 radial nerve fibres. As Waldeyer has truly said, anatomists 

 have described every known method of nerve ending as having 

 been found in the cochlea. Since Deiters' time, however, there 

 has been a general agreement that the radial nerves ended in 

 hair cells as one of their endings. Of the other supposed end- 

 ings we have heard less, the more thoroughly the Cortian organ 

 has been studied, and to-day it may be considered practically 

 settled that the radial nerves end only in the hair cells of the 

 inner and outer rows. 



The exact manner in which the nerves terminate in the hair 

 cells is still an open question. Lavdowsky maintains that the 

 nerve fibres more frequently end in the hair cells in the neigh- 

 borhood of the nucleus than at their lower ends. 



