UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PUBLICATIONS 



IN 



ZOOLOGY 



Vol. 19, No. 8, pp. 283-298, 5 figures in text November 15, 1919 



A NEW DISTOME FROM RANA AURORA 



WILLIAM W. CORT 



W0V2 51919 >| 



Introduction 



The examination of thirty individuals of the California red-legged 

 frog, Rana aurora Baird and Girard, obtained from a frog farm near 

 San Francisco, showed a characteristic parasitic fauna differing in 

 a number of respects from that described from frogs in other parts 

 of the United States. One of the most interesting forms found was 

 a new distome from the intestine. Since this species does not fit into 

 any of the described genera of trematodes I shall establish the new 

 genus Margeana for it and name it Marg&tmm oaMforwiensis, nov. gen., 

 nov. spec. A discussion of the classification of this species and the 

 diagnosis of the new genus to which it belongs will follow the descrip- 

 tion of its structure. 



Description of Species 



Margeana califoniii nsis was found in the intestines of fourteen 

 of the thirty specimens of Rana aurora examined. The number of 

 parasites in each host was comparatively small. Two hosts harbored 

 one parasite, three two, three three, one four, one five, one six, one 

 seven, one nine, and one ten. The flukes were attached to the wall 

 of the intestine by the oral sucker but were easily loosened when 

 the intestine was opened. They were most often found in the anterior 

 third of the intestine and never in the posterior third. 



Practically all the observations recorded in this paper were made 

 from the study of living material. Whole mounts and sections, how- 

 ever, were made for comparison. 



