eyeball excitable from the
visual cortex may be regarded as higher reflexes connected with vision.
The evidence of the connexion of the reactions of the motor cortex with
cutaneous and muscular senses appears, however, scarcely sufficient to
countenance at present this otherwise plausible view, which has on
general grounds much to commend it.

It is remarkable that movements of the eyeball itself, i.e. apart from
movement of the lids, are not in the category of movements elicitable
from the precentral gyrus, the "motor" cortex. They are found
represented in a region farther forward, namely in front of the
precentral gyrus altogether, and occupying a scattered set of points in
the direction frontal from the areas for movements of arm and face. This
frontal area yields on excitation conjugate movements of both eyeballs
extremely like if not exactly similar to those yielded by excitation of
the occipital (visual) region of the cortex. It is supposed by some that
this frontal area yielding eye-movements has its function in this
respect based upon afferent conductors from other parts of the eyeball
than the retina, for instance upon kinaesthetic (Bastian) impressions or
upon sensual impressions derived from the cornea and the coats of the
eyeball including the ciliary and iris muscles. The ocular muscles are
certainly a source of centripetal impulses, but their connexion with the
cortex is not clear as to either their nature or their seat. The
question seems for the present to allow no clearer answer. It is
certain, however, that the frontal area of eye movements has
corticofugal paths descending from it to the lower motor centres of the
eyeballs quite independent of those descending from the occipital
(visual) area of eye-movements. Further, it seems clear that in many
animals there is another cortical region, a third region, the region
which we saw above might be considered auditory, where movements of the
eyeball similar to those elicitable in the occipital and frontal cortex
can be provoked. A. Tschermak is inclined to give the eyeball movements
of the frontal region the significance of reflex movements which carry
the visual field in various directions in answer to demands made by
sensory data derived from touch, &c., as for instance from the hand. The
movements of the eyeballs elicitable from the occipital region of the
cortex he regards as probably concerned with directing the gaze toward
something seen, for instance