664 



MR. F. E. BEDDAItD OX BASSAEICTON ALLENI. [Jlllie 19, 



kinds of mammals. They may very conceivably be tactile 

 in function. 



In any case they are connected with a strong nerve which can 

 be readily felt and seen when cut by removal of the skin. The 

 nerve is 1 mm. or so in thickness just where it enters the skin to 

 supply these vibrissa?. The roots of the latter can be seen to pro- 

 ject slightly from the under surface of the skin when the latter 

 has been flayed off in the ordinary way. It is suggestive that 

 these nervous structures should be present near to the wrist of 

 mammals which make considerable use of their hands. A noct- 

 urnal habit may be also partly explanatory of their presence and 

 obvious importance in some capacity or another ; the large size of 

 the nerve and of the vibrissa? themselves seem to justify the 

 statement that they are obviously important. 



The example of Bassaricyon alleni which I have studied is a 

 female ; it has, as had the skin examined by Mr. Thomas, a single 

 pair of mamma, which are some three inches or so in front of the 

 anus. The same number of mammas is found in Cercohptes. 



Alimentary Viscera. 



The tongue, as exhibited in the drawing (fig. 2), seems to be very 

 like that of Cercoleptes. It has seven circumvallate papillae 

 arranged in the usual triangular fashion with the apex directed 



Fig. 2. 



Tongue of Bassaricyon alleni, dorsal view. 



towards the throat. The back part of the tongue at the fauces has 

 a number of longish backward!}- directed horny papilla?. The fungi- 

 form papiPae are scattered irregularly all over the dorsum of the 



