A total of 19 tongues collected from rabbits being in day 1, 15 and 30 and the 6^th month of postnatal life were used in the study. As a result of observations under a light microscope changes were examined in the mucosa on the dorsum of the apex and on the dorsum of the body of the tongue, where fungiform papillae are located. The epithelium covering fungiform papillae at day 1 of postnatal life is a nonkeratinized stratified squamous epithelium, whereas starting from day 15 of postnatal life it was found that the epithelium is a keratinized stratified squamous epithelium. Also starting from day 15 of postnatal life, in the area of the connective tissue core of some fungiform papillae solitary lymphatic nodules were observed. At day 1 of postnatal life elastic fibers are well-marked and are arranged primarily in the transverse direction in relation to the longitudinal axis of the tongue. Their concentration increases medially and caudally on the dorsum of the apex and on the dorsum of the body of the tongue in front of the forming torus of the tongue. In the area of the torus of the tongue the concentration of elastic fibers decreases in the caudal direction. Such a distribution of elastic fibers was also observed in successive investigated periods in the life of the rabbit.

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