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During the routine disseetioii of the abdomen in our medical classes students have frequently questioned the textbook descriptions of the constitution of the sheath of the rectus ahdominis muscle. A diligent search of the literature failed to bring to light any recent investigation of the constitutioii of the rectas sheath. It is true that the majority of thc textbook descriptions of this sheath agree, but the actual dissections do not seem to confirm these descriptions. The present investigation was undertaken with the hope of throwing more light on this subject.Special dissections were made on 136 humaii cadavers during the past 3 years. The skin, fasciae and the external oblique muscle of tlie abdomen were reflected in the usual way. The iliohypogastric and the ilioinguinal nerves were identified. The course of the iliohypogastric nerve was traced above to the point of its exit from tlie internal oblique muscle. The nerve was traced carefully into or behind Ihis muscle, as f a r as possible, without injury to either the muscle fibers or the nerve. Special care WRS takcn lo note if the nerve passed between the transversus ahdominis and the obliyuus abdominis internus muscles or between the fibers of the latter muscle alone, before it started to course between the external and the internal oblique muscles. After this the anterior wall of the rectus sheath was cut open longitudinally. The rectus abdominis muscle was exposed and divided transversely at