MAR l^ l^^'^ 



On the Terminations of the Nerves in the Lingual 

 Papillae of the Chelonia 



Frederick Tiickcrmnii. 



(With pi. I.) 



Le3^clig 1) nearly twenty years ago called attention to the goblet- 

 shaped sense-organs of the Reptilia. He found them in the skin and 

 mouth of Tropidonotus natrix, Coronella laevis, Anguis frag His, and 

 Pseudopus jJf^ttasii though, according to Merkel, they are wholly 

 wanting in the Ophidia. They have since been found by Merkel -) in 

 the Lacertilia, notably in Anguis and Lacerta, on the inner side of 

 the upper and lower jaw, on the tuberculum palatinum, and on the 

 tongue. Hitherto, as far as I am aware, these organs, or theii^ homo- 

 logues, have not been described in the Chelonia, 



For the material used in this research I am much indebted to 

 Dr. Baur of Clark University, Worcester, who very kindly sent me 

 the tongues of Macrochekjs femminckii and Testudo tabulata. 



Respecting the tongue of Macro cheli/ s temmincMi there is but 

 litte to be said in this connection, as a careful examination of the 

 papillary elevations and processes, and of other parts of the buccal 

 cavity, failed to reveal the presence of specialised sensory terminal 

 organs of any description. Apart, however, from the question of the 



^) Ziu' Kenntnis der Sinnesorgane der Schlangen. Arch. f. raikr. Anat. 

 Bd. VIII. 1872. p. 317. Taf. XV n. XVI, * 



'-) Ueber die Endigungen der sensiblen Nerven in der Haut der Wirbeltiere. 

 Rostock, 1880. 



Internation.nle Monatsscliiift für Anat, u. Phys. IX. 1 



