OCR Text |
Show 1879.] MR. W. A. FORBES ON THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT. 423 tending from near the papilla of Wharton's duct towards the tip, where it becomes obsolete, is a slightly raised longitudinal line. Below this are the openings of a considerable number of small glands, situated, apparently, in the substance of the tongue itself. Above and behind this line are scattered about a few fungiform papillae ; but these get smaller, and ultimately disappear, towards the middle line, and extend but a small distance backwards over the sides of the tongue. In a line with, and continued back from, this raised line, a single Tongue of the African Elephant (reduced). W.D. Wharton's duct; M.O. Mayer's organ. series of rather conspicuous, elevated papillae, apparently of a glandular nature, is seen. These are continuous behind with " Mayer's organ " *, a series of vertical slit-like depressions, the larger of which are each provided with a pair of glandular papillae, probably connected with mucous glands in the substance of the tongue. I counted about thirty-three slits in this organ, which extends backwards on the sides of the tongue for 5\ inches, till within about an inch of the circumvallate papillae. The slits are largest and deepest, and have their glands proportionately larger, a little before the end of the organ : the longest slit is \ inch long. In the anterior part of the organ the papillae of the sides of the tongue stand on the ridges between the slits ; but more posteriorly this arrangement disappears The circumvallate papillae are situated near the back of the tongue, and nearer tbe middle line than the glands and papillae just described. On the right side there are four, on the left three, with indications of a fourth. The posterior ones are considerably the larger (| inch in diameter). The tongue is rounded off and considerably narrowed behind the circumvallate papillae. In the walls of the pharynx in this region are a few irregular, raised, glandular patches, which attain a considerable size in the middle line. The tonsils are rather large and deep depressions. In the bottom are seen the openings of many conspicuous and rather large solitary 1 So called in honour of its discoverer, Dr. C. Mayer (cf. Nov. Act. Acad. C. L. vol. xx. p. 746). |