AbstractsBiology & Animal Science

The nematode parasites studied were collected from a large number of wild rats, Rattus rattus, on the island of Formosa by the United States Navy Medical Unit No.2 under the direction of Commander R. E. Kuntz. Rattus rattus belongs to the group of mammals, Rodentia, the members of which are characterized by their gnawing and chewing habits. They are vegetarians and have a world wide distribution. Representatives of all the large groups of parasitic nematodes have been recorded from rodents; the parasitic nematodes of the common rat, for example, have a cosmopolitan distribution.