The DNA of 60 adenovirus type 8 (AV8) isolates (collected during the period 1961 to 1982, mostly in Western Germany) was analysed by 6 endonucleases and revealed 6 different genome types, thus implying that the variability of AV8 is relatively low. It was found that 45 isolates belonged to the genome type D1. Restriction site maps of a prototype D1 and of all deviating restriction variants were elaborated for enzymes BamHI, BglII, Hind-III and SalI.