1895 - 96 .] Mr F. J. Cole on Nerves of Ghimcera monstrosa. 51 
(a.) Superficial Ophthalmic. — This nerve is exceedingly inter- 
esting, since it does not fuse with the nerve of the same name 
from the Vllth, and its distribution may therefore be ascertained 
without any of the doubt necessarily attached to its distribution in 
the Elasmobranch fishes. It arises from the Gasserian ganglion 
and courses straight upwards, and after crossing the superficial 
ophthalmic of the Vllth, runs straight forwards to be distributed 
to the skin, over and in front of the orbital region. We may, 
therefore, conclude with certainty that this branch of the Vth does 
not in Chimcera, and doubtless also in other fishes, innervate any 
of the sense organs of the lateral line. As an important variation, 
I may note that I have seen it send a few fibres to the superficial 
ophthalmic of the Vllth as it passes over it. 
(h.) Profundus. — This branch of the Vth is also of great interest. 
In the first place, it is undoubtedly a branch of the Vth, and does 
not arise by a separate root from the medulla. It springs from the 
main trunk of the Vth, slightly distal to the Gasserian ganglion, 
and after giving off a twig to the ciliary ganglion, runs straight 
forwards across the orbit dorsal to the optic nerve. It perforates 
the cartilage of the cranium at the anterior end of the orbit, and 
courses upwards to fan over and completely fuse with the super- 
ficial ophthalmic branch of the Vllth. Its distribution after this 
point is necessarily a difficult, if not an impossible, question to 
determine. When the profundus has traversed about two-thirds of 
the orbit, it gives off a conspicuous branch (which may immediately 
divide into two), and this branch, running in a canal bored in 
the cartilage of the cranium, passes over the superficial ophthalmic 
of the Vllth, and eventually reaches the skin in front of the orbit. 
Here it gives off two important twigs, which innervate tivo sense 
organs of the supra-orbital canal (marked black in the figure).* 
This was found in both specimens. The Vth nerve, therefore, has 
two dorsal sensory branches — one to the skin, and the other to the 
skin and sense organs of the lateral line. 
(c. and d.) Maxillary and Mandibular. — These nerves will be 
fully described in my future paper, but do not possess features of 
sufficient interest to be mentioned here. 
* This figure was kindly drawn for me by a senior student of the college, 
Mr E. J. W. Harvey. 
