BOTANY. 343 



a fence. They plant three rows of it close together, and defy- 

 any mortal animal to break through (H. E. Watney in Gar- 

 deners' Chron.); 



Poisonous Grasses. 



In the September number of Trimen's Journal of Botany 

 there is an interesting note by Dr. Hance on Intoxicating 

 Grasses, which supplements a previous article on the same 

 subject. A grass was sent by Dr. Aitchison from Cashmere, 

 which Professor Dyer determines as Stipa Sibirica, Munro. 

 Concerning this grass Dr. Aitchison writes (date of August 

 4, 1875): "I have just been collecting some good specimens 

 of a grass that is extremely common near Gulmuz. It grows 

 in large tussocks, and is very poisonous to horses and cattle. 

 The cattle are too knowing, and will not eat it. Horses from 

 the plains do eat it, and die from its effects ; but if quickly 

 treated, recover. They become comatose and lose the power 

 of their limbs. It grows in the Scinde valley also. While 

 there I heard of it and the cure viz., smoking them, by 

 making a large fire and keeping the horse's head in the 

 smoke. The nose commences to run first; and if it does so 

 freely, the beast is safe. The natives also say that if a cow 

 eats it they give acid, unripe apricots, or any vinegar, winch 

 aids the recovery. A large number of the horses this year 

 at Gulmuz were poisoned by it; none died, as all smoked their 

 horses." In Dr. Hance's previous article mention was made 

 of a statement by a French missionary which is materially 

 identical with the above. Professor Dyer suggests in a note 

 to Dr. Hance that the Stipas may be only mechanically poi- 

 sonous, like Hordeitm pratense ; but Dr. Hance adds that 

 though it is indisputable that various grasses in Europe and 

 Australia cause injury or death to cattle from their irritant 

 properties, the special symptoms in the case of the Stipa and 

 in Melica seem opposed to such a supposition. " In a recently 

 published translation of Przewalski's ' Travels ' the Alaskan 

 poisonous grass is said to be a species of Lolium ; and it is 

 added that the native herds carefully avoid eating it" (Nat- 

 uralist, November, 1877). 



History and Uses of Jaborandi. 



The JB 'i diet hi of the French Societv for Acclimatization for 

 October contains a long account of the history and uses of 



