V.—The Lateral Sense Organs of Elasmobranchs. I. The Sensory Canals of Læmargus

Abstract

Some years ago, when studying the electrical organs of the torpedo, I was forced to the conclusion that the nerves supplying the batteries had not been accurately described, and that notwithstanding the statements in the most recent works, the first electric nerve is not derived from the trigeminus. Finding some difficulty in making out the arrangement of the cranial nerves in the greatly specialised torpedo, I directed my attention, first to the skate, and later to certain sharks, more especially to the Greenland shark (Læmargus). I had not proceeded far before I was convinced that we had still much to learn as to the anatomy of the cranial nerves of both the higher and lower vertebrates.