50 EINAR LÖNNBERG, STUDIES ON RUMINANTS. 



about 1 — 2 cm. in thickness. The flat anterior portion is, by a deep transversal groove, 

 dividecl from the posterior thicker (3 — 4 cm.) portion. The aberrant shape of the tongue 

 corresponds to the shape of the mouth and the palate. In consequence hereof the trans- 

 versal gi'oove is also situated behind the middle of the tongue so that the thick posterior 

 portion is much shorter than the anterior one. The anterior part is densely covered by 

 flattened, almost scalelike, but sharply pointed papillcB Jiliformes. This same covering 

 continues laterally about 1 cm. from the upper surface, and at the anterior end 3 cm. 

 on the inferior side (in the middle however only 2 cm), which is considerably moi'e than 

 usual. Posteriorly towards the groove the size of these papillaj is increased, but at the 

 same time they become more blunt and wartlike. Papillce fungiformes are in great 

 numbers scattered över the anterior part of the tongue. On the expanded end they are 

 distributed all över the upper surface. Posteriorly they are ouly found at the sides, and 

 on a broad space in the middle they are missing. They are also found on the sides, 

 but are nowhere so numerous or so closely set as on a stripe, 1 cm. in width, on the lower 

 surface of the broad anterior end of the tongue. Here they sit only a few millimeters apart 

 or sometimes so close that they even touch each other. Nearly all tha jjapilla' fungiformes 

 are dark, almost black, but I do not know if this is the normal condition or not. 



On the upper surface of the posterior thick part of the tongue large, flattened, 

 but pointed papillaä are arranged in two broad (12 mm. more or less) rows, which unite 

 anteriorly behind and above the transversal groove. The longest of these are about 

 4 rom. broad at the base and 5 — 6 mm. in length, the greater nuinber is however not 

 quite so large. In the middle of the back of the tongue is a nearly smooth, although 

 horny area. On the lateral portions of the upper surface, outside the large papillte, 

 are found papillce filiformes similar to those described from the transversal groove and 

 also some papillce fungiformes, but no papillte are seen on the lateral surfaces. Behind 

 the large papillaj are only found some small conical papillfe which are sparsely scattered. 

 At the base of the tongue and near the lateral margin the p)apillce circumvallatce are 

 found. They are irregularly arranged in two rows, 7 (8) on one and 10 on the other 

 side. The hindmost ones are the largest. This number is thus very low and can best 

 be compared with the number I have found in diffei^ent species of Cervidce. Murie says, 

 however, in the paper quoted ^) that in Saiga »the jrnpillce circumvallatce are few in 

 number, of small size and sparsely scattered». Otherwise the number is greater in such 

 Cavicornia as I have had the opportunity to see.^) In the Anoa the papillas are, according 

 to Heller '') 14 — 16 in number and arranged in three rows; the third row consists however 

 only of one papilla. The large papill* on the back of the tongue in the gnu are with regard 

 to their shape nearly intermediate between those of Bos and those of Ovibos but larger 

 than the latter. The median, nearly smooth space, in the gnu is, however, a dififei'ence 

 from both. The soft papilla; on the hindmost portion of the tongue of Bos are entirely 

 missing in Connochcetes. From the description above it is apparent that the large papilte 

 on the back of the tongue of the gnu have no likeness to the flat ones found in the 



*) P. Z. S. London 1870, p. 489. • ' . ■ . • , 



-) Conf. my paper »an the soft anatomy of the muskox», P. Z. S. London 1900 p. 147. 



^) Der Urbilffel von Celebes, Dresden 1889, p. 28. 



