On the Morphology and Life history of a Myxosporidian, Leptotheca ohlmacheri, parasitic in Rana clamitans and R. pipiens

1. Rana clamitans of New York and R. pipiens from the middle part of the United States, were found to be infected by a Myxosporidian, apparently identical with Leptotheca ohlmacheri (Gurley) Labbé, found by Ohlmacher in the kidney of Bufo lentiginosus.2. The Myxosporidian was found only in the space between Bowman's capsule and the glomerulus of the Malpighian body and in the uriniferous tubules of the kidneys of the host, no other organ being infected.3. The mature spore contains two independent uninucleate sporoplasms which fuse into one prior to the germination in the posterior region of the stomach or duodenum of a new host.4. The germination of the spore was observed in hanging drop preparations with the digestive fluid.5. The youngest stage found in the lumen of the tubule of the kidney, was the uninucleate form.6. The trophozoites multiply actively by a process of gemmation and probably also by a schizogony of the uninucleate forms.7. The trophozoites are, as a rule, disporous and the spores develop independently of each other.8. The vegetative nucleus persists throughout the entire trophic life of the individual.9. The Myxosporidian does not exercise any fatal effect upon the host.10. Infection takes place through the mouth. The liberated binucleate amoebulae probably penetrate through the wall of the small intestine, reach the coelom and are carried to the uriniferous tubules through the nephrostomes or blood vessels.