The Autonomic and sensitive innervation of the ostrich copulatory organ

The autonomic and sensitive innervation of the ostrich copulatory organ was studied. The former consisted by isolated and grouped ganglion cells, located along the course of nerve bundles or in the convegence point of two or more of these fascicles. The latter is represented by free and encapsulated nerve terminations. These last one, morphologically classified as Pacini, Pacini-like and genital corpuscles,showed the typical structure and could be found isolated or assembled to organize flower-sprays, opposite-polar corpuscles or poikilomorphous nerve fibres. The Pacini corpuscles were numerically prevalent, while the Pacini-like terminations represented the less numerous receptorial type.