210 ProceexUiujs of the Royal iSociety of Victoria. 



over several acres whei'e the cattle v^as ieediuiii", and since it 

 belonged to a genus of plants vv^ell known to have poisonous 

 properties, it became a matter of great importance to 

 determine vv^hether this particular plant was poisonous or 

 not when grown in this Colony, so we decided to submit it 

 to the test of experiment. 



History of Outbreak of Disease. 



A local dairyman brought ninety-five head of cattle 

 from ])addocks a short distance to tlie north of Pascoe 

 Vale, and put them on the land overgrown with Homeria. 

 Next morning, about twelve head were found either 

 sick oi- dying. Another dairyman Ijrought four head 

 from Caullield, putting them on the same land, and next 

 morning two were dead and two sick. Several others lost 

 cattle in the same paddock, and it is rej^orted that more 

 than twent}' have died altogether. It is Worthy of note 

 that the cattle reared in the locality have escaped, and are 

 in excellent health, while only those fresh to the district 

 have succumbed. The ))lant has now died down, and no 

 more sickness is reported, but in the season, when the fresh, 

 green, tall leaves of the Homeria were fully developed, 

 it looked quite a ten)pting green food. The owner of one of 

 the cows which was treated and recovered assured us that it 

 would not now eat the plant, although it had eaten freely of 

 it before. 



As regards the presence of the Horneria in the locality, it 

 may have been originally a garden escape, since these 

 flowers are cultivated for their beauty, but although several 

 gardens in the neighbourhood were visited, no ti'ace of it 

 could be found. It has also been suggested that the plant 

 maj' have ])een introduced along with tlie oats formerly 

 sown in the paddock, for it may be multiplied b>' means of 

 small Ijulbils which it })roduces in great abundance, and 

 which might easily get mixed up with othei' seed. 



References to Homeria being Poisonous. 



As to the poisonous nature of this genus of plants, there 

 are i-eferences in various standard works, such as Le Maout 

 and Decaisne's "System of Botany," and Redwood's "Su[)ple- 

 iiient to the Phannacopwia;" but we shall cijntent ourselves 



