}

    // requireNonNull is safe because of the edgeToReferenceNode check above.
    NetworkConnections<N, E> connectionsU = requireNonNull(nodeConnections.get(nodeU));
    N nodeV = connectionsU.adjacentNode(edge);
    NetworkConnections<N, E> connectionsV = requireNonNull(nodeConnections.get(nodeV));
    connectionsU.removeOutEdge(edge);
    connectionsV.removeInEdge(edge, allowsSelfLoops() && nodeU.equals(nodeV));

    return (E edge) -> network.incidentNodes(edge).target();
  }

  private static <N, E> Function<E, N> adjacentNodeFn(Network<N, E> network, N node) {
    return (E edge) -> network.incidentNodes(edge).adjacentNode(node);
  }

  /**
   * A builder for creating {@link ImmutableNetwork} instances, especially {@code static final}
   * networks. Example:
   *
   * {@snippet :

    for (N node : nodes) {
      subgraph.addNode(node);
    }
    for (N node : subgraph.nodes()) {
      for (E edge : network.outEdges(node)) {
        N successorNode = network.incidentNodes(edge).adjacentNode(node);
        if (subgraph.nodes().contains(successorNode)) {
          subgraph.addEdge(node, successorNode, edge);
        }
      }
    }
    return subgraph;
  }