Communications Between the Facial and Trigeminal Nerves in Certain Mammals

The modes of division and branching of the extrapetrous part of the facial nerve and the presence or absence of communications between its branches and between it and the trigeminal nerve and cervical plexus were studied in nineteen mammalian species. Communications between the facial and derivatives of the mandibular division of the trigeminal were found invariably, but were inconstant in the case of the two other divisions and of the cervical plexus. The possible functional significance of the observations is discussed.