122 J. B. CLELAND. 
testines of Epimys rattus and EF. norvegicus in Australia. 
It is often present in numbers. 
CrestopES.—Harvey Johnston (loc. cit.) has recorded the 
tape worms Hymenolepis diminuta and H. murina, and 
Cysticercus fasciolaris, of which the adult stage is Tenia 
crassicollis of the cat, as parasites in Australia of E. rattus 
(alexandrinus), EH. norvegicus and Mus musculus. He has 
just recorded also Davainea sp. from EH. norvegicus in 
Brisbane. 
In connection with the Cysticereus (C. fasciolaris), in 
August, 1911, I received from Dr. R. Dick, of Newcastle, 
two paraffin blocks containing portion of a large tumour 
with a small outgrowing nodule which had been attached to 
the liver of a specimen of H. norvegicus. In the centre of the 
mass he had found a cestode parasite several inches in. 
length, which, from the description, was undoubtedly C. 
fasciolaris, which often matures to this stage in our rats. 
Sections revealed, in addition to much necrotic tissue and 
leucocytic infiltration, masses of mitosing spindle-shaped 
cells. [ came to the conclusion that the growth was a spindle- 
celled sarcoma, which had arisen as the result of the chronic 
irritation of the parasite. This malignant growth, though 
of different nature to the carcinomatous process resulting 
from the presence of Gongylonema neoplasticum in another 
situation, may be considered as a parallel instance of the 
chronic irritative effects of helminth parasites. 
Bridre and Conseil discuss the relation of hepatic sarcom- 
ata to the presence of Cysticercus fasciolaris.* Five out of 
2,000 wild rats had these growths in the liver, and in four — 
of these a Cysticercus was present in the growth. In three 
of the four cases it was the only one in the organ. 
As mentioned more fully in discussing the rat fleas, Har- 
vey Johnston has found the Cysticercoids of H. diminuta 
+ Vide Vet. Rec., XXII., 1910, No. 1126, p. 526. 
