In the framework of a study on the recovery of the Rous Sarcoma Virus ( R S V ) from transformed mammalian cells, nine Syrian hamster cell-lines transformed by RSV were examined by electron microscopy. Six of these lines were obtained from BHK 211Clone 13 cells transformed in vitro by RSV, either Schmidt-Ruppin strain (SR-RSV)
or Bryan strain (B-RSV), one of them being supertransformed by polyoma virus. Another line ( R S H ) was obtained from embryonic hamster cells transformed in vitro by SR-RSV. Two lines resulted from in vivo experiments: SRICI, was obtained from a SR-RSV-induced tumour in a Syrian hamster; and RS,-TH2 represented an in vitro cultured tumour obtained in a Syrian hamster by the inoculation of RS2 cells transformed in vitro by SR-RSV. All these lines had the group-specific antigen ( G S ) and it was possible to rescue RSV from all lines except SRICI, when they were cultivated in association with permissive chick cells. No C-type virus particles could be observed either in the six lines transformed in vitro or in two lines ( R S H and SRICI,) transformed in vitro.On the contrary, the line RS2-TH, contained C-type particles, morphologically similar to murine leukemia virus, and probably representing a latent hamster virus. In line SRICI,, A-type particles were found associated with mitochondria. The significance of the presence of these particles in this only non-virogenic line is discussed. Finally, in all the hamster lines examined, R-type particles were observed. They were more numerous in the in vivo transformed lines than in the in vitro transformed lines.