June 12, 1908] 



SCIENCE 



915 



or ever have been a part of the lateral line 

 system. 



Microscopic preparations were shown in 

 connection with the paper. 



Cranial Nerve Components in Amphiuma: 

 H. W. NoREis, Iowa College. 

 A preliminary outline of the more salient 

 features of the origin and peripheral dis- 

 tribution of the cranial nerves of Amphi- 

 uma with reference to their components. 

 Kingsley's account of the I. and II. nerves 

 is confirmed. The eye-muscle nerves have 

 the typical origin, but are all rudimentary, 

 especially the VI. The IV. and VI. have 

 not been described hitherto. The V. nerve 

 is characterized by anastomoses with 

 branches of the VII. Its origin is that 

 described for Necturus by Kingsbury. 

 The VII. nerve arises by five rootlets: 

 three lateral line, one each communis 

 and motor. In addition it receives gen- 

 eral cutaneous and communis fibers from 

 the IX. Branches: (1) sup7-a-oriital 

 trunk, lateral line (ophthalmicus super- 

 ficialis VII.) and general cutaneous 

 (V.) ; (2) infra-orhital trunk, lateral line 

 (iuccalis VII.), and general cutaneous 

 (maxillaris V.); (3) palatine, communis; 

 (4) hyomandibular trunk, lateral line, gen- 

 eral cutaneous, communis and motor. The 

 hyomandibular give rise to: the alveolaris 

 (communis), mentalis externus and men- 

 talis internus (lateral line) , jugularis (gen- 

 eral cutaneous, motor, together with some 

 lateral line fibers), and the ramus lateralis 

 (lateral line mostly, if not entirely). The 

 ramus lateralis VII. is peculiar to Am- 

 phiuma. It runs to the posterior part of 

 the body, but its neuromasts on the trunk 

 of the body have not been determined. In 

 addition to the anastomoses already men- 

 tioned the VII. nerve has the following: 

 between the palatinus VII. and the oph- 

 thalmicus profundus V. ; in the manner 

 described for Amhlystoma by Coghill; be- 



tween the alveolaris VII. and mandibularis 

 V. ; between the ophthalmicus profundus 

 V. and the ophthalmicus superficialis VII. 

 and buccalis VII.; between the alveolaris 

 VII. and the pretrematicus IX., two anas- 

 tomoses; between the palatinus VII. and 

 the pretrematicus IX., Jaeobson's commis- 

 sure; between the jugularis VII. and the 

 IX.-X. ganglion, anastomosis IX.-X. and 

 VII. The latter anastomosis has only gen- 

 eral cutaneous and communis fibers. The 

 IX.-X. nerve complex arises from the 

 brain by five groups of rootlets. Periph- 

 erally the branches of the IX.-X. agree in 

 general in their distribution with those of 

 Amhlystoma as described by Coghill. The 

 first branchial nerve (IX.) contains only 

 communis and motor fibers ; the second and 

 third branchial nerves (X.) contain gen- 

 eral cutaneous, communis and motor fibers. 

 A fourth branchial nerve, poorly devel- 

 oped, arises from the ramus intestinalis. 

 The first spinal nerve (hypoglossus) arises 

 by four rootlets, two dorsal and two ven- 

 tral, as described by Kingsley. It does not 

 anastomose with the X. nerve. 



The Participation of Medullated Fibers in 

 the Innervation of the Olfactory Mucous 

 Membrane of Fishes: R. E. Sheldon, 

 The University of Chicago. 

 In the carp (Cyprinus carpio) medul- 

 lated fibers enter the svibmucosa region of 

 the olfactory capsule distributing in part 

 to the Schneiderian membrane. There 

 they probably end in free nerve termina- 

 tions, as there are no special end organs 

 developed. These fibers are derived from 

 the supra-orbital trunk, which is made up 

 of general cutaneous fibers from the Gas- 

 serian ganglion (n. ophthalmicus superfi- 

 cialis trigemini) and sensory fibers from 

 the facial (n. ophthalmicus superficialis 

 facialis). This latter nerve is acustico- 

 lateral from the lateralis ganglion of the 

 facial and visceral sensory from the gen- 



