Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscenses Page: 45

TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES. 45

while this parasite in other ani-
mals invades nearly all the inter-
nal organs, the echinococcus tu-
mors in rabbits, with but a few
exceptional instances, have been
found with particular preference
in the miuscular system, especially
in the muscles of the lumbar re-
gion and the muscles of the thighs
and ribs. A common idea prevails
among the laity that these tumors

are some sort o>f "venereal dis-
ease," "tlcerations," "grub-
worm," etc. I had occasion to ex-
amine a great lumber of cystic
diseased rabbits, some of which,
in rare instances, showed over one
half of the entire body covered
with cysts, reaching along and be-
tween the muscles of the lumbar
and thoracic region down to the
abdominal and thoracic cavities.

from which they generally start
to develop and multiply or mi-
grate to other parts of the body.
During their growth the cyst
sacs protude below the skin and
they can easily be felt in the shape
of roundish, oval or flat, single or
conglomorated, and elastic tu-
mors, from the size of a marble
up to a child's head, thereby giv-
ing the different parts of the rab-

rabit's anatomy a very deformed
appearance. On dissecting these tu
mors. in advanced cases, a firm
fil)ro-cystic membrane with the in-
ner or endoeyst. similar to the py-
genic membrane of some abcess
cavities is noticed which is filled
with some albuminous like or gela-
tinnous fluid, and each separate
cyst and even surrouning parts
of such, contain myriads of small,

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