The Helminth Parasites of Birds. I. A Review of the Trematode Genus Tanaisia Skrjabin, 1924

During the past several years the authors have taken an occasional specimen of a trematode from the urinary tract of various species of birds from the southeastern section of the United States. These trematodes were tentatively identified as belonging to the genera Tanaisia Skrjabin, 1924, and Tamerlanih Skrjabin, 1924, family Eucotylidae Skrjabin, 1924, and were held in reserve for further study. Lately, however, the authors have had occasion to make more extensive and concentrated surveys of the parasites of birds from two rather widely separated localities, one in Texas, conducted by the junior author, and the other in North Carolina and Virginia, conducted by the senior author. The results of these collections have revealed the presence of urinary tract irnhabiting flukes in 28 specimens of birds belonging to 13 species, 8 families and 3 orders. A total of 120 specimens of the 13 species of birds has been examined for these trematocles. A summary of the incidence of infection in these bird hosts for this particular group of trematodes is given in Table I. The family Eucotylidae was proposed by Skrjabin (1924) for the reception of the genera Eucotyle Cohn, 1904, Tanaisia Skrjabin, 1924, and Tamerlania Skrjabin, 1924. Since the erection of the family Eucotylidae, three additional genera, Ohridia and Lepidopteria, proposed by Nezlobinsky (1926) and Proshystera, proposed by Korkhaus (1930), have been created for the reception of urinary tract inhabiting flukes and placed in this family. As outlined by Skrjabin the family Eucotylidae was characterized as follows: Medium-sized monostomes with subterminal oral opening, pharynx, and intestinal ceca extending posteriorly to near caudal end of body. Esophagus present or absent. Genital opening behind bifurcation of ceca. Cirrus sac absent. Seminal vesicle and ovary in advance of testes; testes extracecal or intracecal, diagonal to each other or at same level, in second third of body length. Vitellaria lateral to ceca, beginning a short distance behind anterior end of body or at level of testes, generally commencing at same level and terminating at same level. Uterus forming crisscross coils in descending, reaching