OKLAHOMA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 11 



and auricular mange, produced by Otedectcs cynolis, is not un- 

 known to both cats and dogs. 



Several species of ticks are known to dwell upon the bodies of 

 cats and dogs. The common dog tick, Dermaccnlor variabilis (eiec- 

 fiis), is the species most frequently found upon our canines and, 

 occasionally, on our felines. This species may also attack man. 

 Ixodes ricinis, the castor bean tick, and Ixodes hexagonus, the Eu- 

 ropean dog tick, are occasionally ■•vet with in our domesticated 

 carnivores. Margaropus annulatus, the Texas-fever tick, Ornithod- 

 orus megnini, the ear tick of catt'.e, and Amblyoinma americanuni, 

 the lone star tick, have been taken from dogs and as these ticks 

 are found upon som^e of our domesticated animals we might expect 

 to find them at times upon our dogs. We have no record of 

 Dermacciitor veintstus, the spotted-fever tick, from Oklahoma but 

 this parasite has been known to live upon dogs. This tick is per- 

 haps the most dangerous of any that have been mentioned. They 

 often produce a form of paralysis in man and animals and many 

 cases of its occurrence are found in literature. This tick may be 

 found in western Oklahoma as it occurs in Colorado and New 

 Mexico. 



Protozoa 



The Protozoa of dogs and cats are only slightly known from 

 the United States. Neuroryctes hydrophohiae, the name applied to 

 the supposed protozoan organism which is the cause of, or at any 

 rate, associated with rabies, is very common in some localities and 

 we find it much too often in dogs, and occasionally in cats, of Ok- 

 lahoma. This disease should be and can be prevented by simply 

 muzz'.ing dogs for a sufficient period for it to die out. England 

 has eradicated rabies by muzzling its dogs. Rabies has been prac- 

 tically stamped out of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark by legisla- 

 tive muzzling" of dogs. 



Hall (1918) reported the occurence of the coccidian, Diplo- 

 spora higcmina in 7.5% of 200 dogs from Michigan. This indicates 

 that the disease may be more common than we anticipate. It is 

 important that medical zboluglcts consider this problem because 

 this parasite is one of the species that occurs in man. Coccidiosis 

 in man, caused by this species, is relatively co^rajon in some parts 

 of the world. This disease has been recorded from^ija-, man and 

 .dogs in California. No cases have been reported from Okto.^^a 

 but it would not be surprising to find it here. 



Trypanosoma equiperdiim was reported in an imported 'dog 

 and T. evansi has been recorded in a case of experimental infection. 

 These, with the exception of one of two less clearly defined cases, 



