560 BBS. GEORGE AND EEANCES E. HOGGAN ON 



from tlie bifurcation of the axis-cylinder pass on a certain dis- 

 tance before becoming connected witli tlie nerve-cells, fig. 11 

 being on a portion of the same plexus, drawn at a greatly increased 

 maguifying-power. While, however, in these drawings one nerve 

 seems to be in connexion with a large number of cells, c c, in 

 other preparations from the same hair several nerves may be seen 

 to be all in connexion with a very small group of cells. In short, 

 we look upon the whole group of nerve-cells round these feelers as 

 a peripheral ganglionic nerve-centre connected with many nerves 

 which pass towards the central nerve-centres, and consider that 

 sensory impressions cause an influence to be developed in these 

 peripheral cells which is passed out from them as an electric cur- 

 rent is generated and passed from an electric battery or tele- 

 graph-station. 



It is difficult to account for the fact that while in the feelers 

 we may have so many meduUated nerves connected with the 

 ganglion-cells upon the follicle, we have never yet observed a 

 medullated nerve in connexion with any of the few cells (fig. 15) 

 upon the ordinary hairs. This, we think, is due to the very great 

 number and importance of the cells upon the feelers, where they 

 lie closely aggregated to each other, and in connexion with the 

 aiferent nerve-fibres connected with them. Are those cells, 

 however, either terminal or tactile in the sense that all observers 

 have applied to them ? We think not. They are certainly not 

 terminal ; for they are ail connected with each other so as to 

 form a nervous circle, from which, it is true, elements may be 

 broken off, so far leaving two terminal points, as we shall after- 

 wards show to be the case ; but such terminations can only be 

 looked upon as accidental ; and it is even questionable whether 

 in this condition they are still capable or not of performing 

 functions. We look upon the forked terminations /" as the true 

 terminal organs of the nerves of touch upon the hair-follicles ; and 

 we think it unwarranted to speak of the ceUs we have been consi- 

 dering as specially tactile ; for they are more probably temperature 

 nerve- organs. We have never yet been able to trace any con- 

 nexion between these cells and the forked endings of the me- 

 dullated nerves on any kind of hair ; but on more than one occa- 

 sion we have found on ordinary hairs that these cells gave off 

 branches peripherally, which became forked, as seen at c, fig. 7, 

 PL XIII. A more telling example, however, is drawn in fig. 15, 

 which appeared isolated from all medullated nerve-fibres which 



