570 DBS. GEOEGE AND JPEANCES E. HOGGAN ON 



sovics discovered certain peculiar-shaped cells (seen at e, fig. 1, 

 Plate XIII.) wticli in his opinion were nervous in character. These 

 cells are from two to six in number ; and in our opinion there can 

 be no doubt that they are absolutely identical, both structurally 

 and functionally, with the nerve-cells which we have discovered 

 upon the ordinary hairs, as seen at c, figs. 6 & 7. Hitherto we 

 have been unable to trace any connexion centrally of these cells 

 with the medullated nerves ; but on several occasions we have 

 been able to trace fibres passing ofi" from them peripherally, 

 which form part of the central group of fibrils in the organ of 

 Eimer. These cells have no doubt connexions centrally with 

 some of the numerous non-medullated nerves which accom- 

 pany the medullated nerves to the organ ; but, owing to the 

 number and closely massed condition of all these fibres, it has 

 been impossible for us to trace their connexions with the cells. 

 The drawing which we give in fig. 15, Plate XIV., of one of the 

 isolated cells found on the follicle of an ordinary hair may, we 

 think, be taken as a representation of any of the cells found in 

 the epidermic downgrowths in the organ of Eimer *. 



There still remains but one element in that organ to be de- 

 scribed, that of the nerve-fibrils of the outer circle. 



Nerve-filrils of tlie Older Circle. — Erom what we have already 

 said, it will be evident that this group of fibrils is both anatomi- 

 cally and physiologically distinct from those of the inner circle. 

 "We have never seen them in direct communication with the 

 medullated nerves, although doubtless they are connected indi- 

 rectly with them by means of the subepidermic plexus of non- 

 medullated nerves, which is largely represented in the nose of the 

 Mole, as apart from the separate plexus of medullated nerves. 

 Indeed these fibrils of the outer circle appear only to be branches 

 of the subepidermic plexus of nerves ; and so far they are to be 

 considered the representatives of the intraepidermic fibrils that 

 are found in the epidermis covering the noses of most mammals. 

 As they pass towards the corneal layers they are often seen to 

 give off branches, which is never seen to take place in the fibrils 

 of the inner circle. For the same reason that they represent the 

 intraepidermic fibrils, they represent equally the intraepithelial 

 fibrils, which we have already described as ramifying between the 



* We have lately discovered that the touch-bodies on the fingers and toes of 

 the Mole are identical with the organ of Eimer on the snout, minus the intra- 

 epidermic fibrils. This provides us with a valuable link in showing that the 

 touch-bodies are composed of the nerve-apparatus of aborted hairs. 



