588 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGICAL ANATOMY. 
and, inversely, the more we find these developed, so shall we also 
observe that the organ acts more as one of prehension than one 
of taste. 
Even in some of the highest classes — the Ruminantia and 
Felinae for instance — it principally serves for the prehension and 
taking in of their food ; and it is at least very doubtful whether it 
possesses the sense of taste in several others, although, on the 
contrary, we would not be warranted in denying the existence of 
this sense in these animals, nor even in such as are entirely des- 
titute of the organ, as the function can be performed by other parts, 
“ it not being the effect of a special and limited organ, but a pro- 
perty of the mucous membrane lining the whole of the cavity of 
the fauces*.” 
The tongue, the principal organ of taste, and, with the lips, of 
prehension in the herbivorse generally, is situated within the anterior 
cavity of the mouth, the buccal cavity, and forming the very com- 
mencement of the digestive organs. Superiorly and anteriorly, the 
moveable tip of the tongue that is covered by a denser dermo-mu- 
cous membrane, and exhibiting more papillary appendages than 
the body, is placed in contact with the roof of the mouth, that is 
occupied there by the glands of Jacobson and the cartilaginous 
canals of Stenon, situated in the anterior palatine fissures, and 
which form a communication between the nasal fossee and the 
mouth. The surface of this portion of the organ of taste is much 
less sensible than the body and posterior part ; but this is compen- 
sated for by being placed in contact with such structures in the 
roof of the mouth, by which the sense of taste merges with and 
becomes amalgamated with that of smell ; a combination of functions 
evidently possessed by herbivorous animals for the perception of 
flavours. Superiorly and posteriorly the body of the tongue comes 
in contact with the surface of the soft palate, the investing mem- 
brane of which possesses a considerable degree of sensibility in the 
perception of sapid bodies. The dermo-mucous membrane invest- 
ing this part of the organ is also much more delicate and sensitive, 
and possesses few, indeed almost none, of the papillary appendages 
for prehension. Laterally, and before, the body of the tongue is 
connected to the inner surface of the lower jaw, partly by mucous 
membrane and partly by muscles ; above and behind, it is sus- 
pended, by means of the isthmus faucium, to the velum pendulum 
palati, and the internal pterygoid processes of the posterior sphenoid 
bone ; and below, it has a complete attachment to the body, the 
lesser and greater cornua of the hyoid bone, and to the styloid ap- 
pendages of the temporal bones. 
Muller, Physiol., vol. i, p. 1059. 
