no Feb., 1909.] Diseases of Farm Animals. 107 



crystalline body, capable of giving the usual alkaloid reactions and having 

 a bitter astringent taste. As tar as it was possible to ascertain, no 

 poisonous properties were observed.' 



" To confirm this, I gave the concentrated alkaloid, to a sheep, un- 

 diluted. He simply turned away and went on grazing, and did not show 

 any symptoms of mconvenience whatever. These experiments and obser- 

 vations quite satisfied me that no poison exists in the plant EupJiorbia 

 Drummondii.'^ 



In an appendix to his report Mr. Stanley puts forward in support 

 of his conclusions the experiences of a number of stock-owners as 

 follows : — 



" In order to confirm my opinion, I have, from time to time, asked 

 stock-owners to make careful observations of its effects under ordinary 

 conditions on their runs, and having received written statements that sup- 

 port my views, I annex extracts from their letters, and take this oppor- 

 tunity of thanking them for courteously supplymg the information. The 

 Queensland authorities were very strong in their opinions of its being a 

 fatal and poisonous weed ; but, judging from a recent letter, the views 

 of Mr. Chief-Inspector Gordon are changing. He says — ' We have im- 

 mense quantities of Euphorbia Drummondii in Queensland, and sheep eat 

 it in any quantity, and with no evil results.' 



Messrs. Devlin and Co., Ganmain : — " Our sheep have picked out this 

 weed from amongst other grass, and have eaten it ravenously, and no ill 

 effects have resuUed. Sheep have been fed exclusively on this weed with 

 no ill effects. The herbage in the paddocks where the milking-cows were 

 kept last year was chiefiy composed of this weed, and no harm re- 

 sulted." 



Mr. J. HoUoway, Murr.bledool : — " It is first-rate feed for our station 

 sheep. During the drought this run was badly off for feed, and stock 

 were very weak. In several small paddocks which had been eaten com- 

 pletely out, and the sheep removed, after a long spell and a little rain 

 this plant came up and grew luxuriantly, spreading in some instances to 

 12 inches from the centre. Into one of these paddocks I put a few 

 hundred of our best ewes; they were very hungry, famishing in fact, 

 and were yarded the previous night; they ate the Euphorbia Drummondii 

 ravenously, and had a good bellyful right away, without seeking for any- 

 thing else. These sheep were left in the same paddocks for weeks, and 

 did first rate the whole time, although there was little or nothing but the 

 plant in question for them. I am satisfied it is in no way injurious to 

 sheep, and consider it a good, useful plant." 



Mr. J. E. Warby, Billenbah:- — "This plant grows more or less over 

 my estate of 8,000 acres, and on 50 acres that had been irrigated it grew 

 very abundantly, from plants half the size of the hand to a foot in diameter. 

 1 have had horses, cattle, and sheep — five or six to the acre — in the pad- 

 dock for several weeks at a stretch, and have noticed cattle and sheep 

 -eat large mouth fuls of it, and none of my stock suffered from it in anv 

 way." 



Mr. D. McLarty, Bundure : — "There is a large quantity of the plant 

 growing over the run here, and when other feeds were scarce stock could 

 get plenty of this said poisonous plant. I never consideied it poisonous, 

 and never saw anv bad results from it." 



Mr. P. R. Brett, Inspector of Stock, Urana, formerly believed the 

 plant to be poisonous, and consequently has taken a good deal of trouble. 



