NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 389 



(3) "On the effects of eating pigeons which have fed on the seeds 

 of EiLphorhia Drummonclii, Boissier. — During a residence in the 

 north-western district of New South Wales (Namoi), 1887-1888, 

 I noticed a peculiar effect produced on human beings, under the 

 following circumstances. Whenever our household partook of 

 pigeon pie it invariably followed that after some 12 or 15 hours 

 we all suffered under a severe attack of diarrhoea, accompanied 

 by acute griping pains in the bowels, lasting some three or four 

 hours and then passing away. This effect had so constantly 

 and invariably followed the presence of pigeon pies on our 

 table that I naturally connected the one with the other, and 

 cast about for an explanation. We had noticed in cleaning the 

 birds that their crops were filled with small rugose seeds, which 

 only recently I have found to be those of Eujohorhia Driimmondii, 

 Boiss., which grows in profusion with us, covering a considerable 

 area of ground in that portion of the garden devoted to grape 

 vines, the pigeons feeding, regularly on the Euphorbia fruits. 

 This plant is stated to be injurious to stock, and we know that 

 many members of the spurge family possess purgative and 

 emetic properties, whilst others are powerful irritants. The 

 question then naturally arises whether some of these peculiar 

 properties have taken effect upon us in the indirect manner here 

 set forth thus to bring about the results indicated? All the 

 ingredients of our last two pies (the last one partaken of out of 

 curiosity as a further test) were most carefully examined, and I 

 have come to the conclusion that the cause of the mischief is 

 indirectly attributable to Euphorbia Drummondii" 



Dr. R. B. Read communicated a note on the circumstances 

 under which Australian Coal first came into use by foreign 

 steamships. 



Mr. Fletcher exhibited for Dr. Woolls the plants sent by the 

 Rev. R. Collie. Also the ova and tadpoles of both Pseudophryne 

 australis and P. hihronii referred to in his paper. 



Mr. Trebeck exhibited a living specimen of a snake ( Yermicella 

 annulata) from Annandale. 



