94 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
causes which attend the emigrant's earlier operations, and 
teach him, by painful experience, the disadvantages of his 
adopted land, but by the destruction among the flocks and 
herds that a deleterious plant is apt to occasion. At one 
time, before instituting the rigid experiments which follow, 
r. Drummond attributed the mischief to a species of Lo- 
belia, a genus of acknowledged acrid properties ; and it is to 
be feared, that more than one vegetable shares in producing 
the injurious effects. The finest and strongest animals are 
the first to perish; breathing seems difficult, they stagger, 
fall, and die; while the evil effects which attend the eating of 
their flesh, augments the calamity to the owners. The spe- 
cimens to which Mr. Drummond refers, and which he has 
sent home, constitute a remarkable exception from the usual 
qualities of the natural order Leguminose.)—Ep. 
I now wish to send you some particulars respecting the 
poisonous plant which I have mentioned to you in various 
former communications. Much contradictory discussion has 
taken place on this subject: Mr. Preiss, the German botanist, 
whom you know, being unwilling to believe that a poison- 
ous vegetable of any kind exists in the Swan River colony; 
or, indeed, in the whole of New Holland. Nay, so far has 
he carried this opinion, as to recommend the ve plant 
which has been pronounced to possess deleterious properties; 
as the best thing which the Agricultural Society could culti- 
vate, as artificial food for stock. I must confess that this 
conduct caused me some vexation, since it was myself and 
Mr. Harris, Secretary of the Agricultural Society, who had 
arrived at an opposite conclusion, our opinion being founded 
on experiments that we had instituted, and which seemed to 
us perfectly undeniable. 
In consequence of these conflicting statements, a com- 
mittee of the members of the Agricultural Society met at 
Guildford, for the purpose of inquiring into the effects which 
certain Leguminous plants exerted on animal life. Among 
the individuals present, were the Attorney-General and Co- 
