54 STOCK-POISONING PLANTS OF MONTANA. 



lambs seldom beoin to eat anything before the age of 1 month, and 

 that they are unable to make a good growth if deprived of the mother's 

 milk before the age of 3 months. The death rate among sheep from 

 eating Zygadenus varied to a considerable extent in different bands; 

 for instance, in one band 2,000 sheep were poisoned and 100 died; in 

 another 200 were poisoned and 90 died, while in a third 100 were 

 poisoned and 48 died. It will thus be seen that the death rate varied 

 from 5 to 48 per cent. 



EXPERIMENTS. 



In order to ascertain the approximate and relative weights of the 

 bulbs and the leafy tops at flowering time, five fresh medium-sized 

 plants were secured June 6. The total weight of these was 32.7 

 grams. The five bulbs, including 1^ inches of the stem, weighed 16.2 

 grams, while the remainder weighed 17.5 grams. The average weight 

 for the plant was therefore about 6| grams, of the bulb 3i, and of the 

 leaf and floral parts 3i grams. These bulbs were not bitter or repul- 

 sive to the taste. Bulbs collected in other parts of the State were 

 quite bitter, especially after a few moments' chewing. It is possible 

 that the taste varies with the stage of growth and the locality. The 

 leaves of the flowering plants are bitter, and are probably on this 

 account generall}^ refused by animals. Several attempts were made 

 to persuade horses to eat a single spray of the leaves, but alwa3's 

 without success. Only once did one allow the plant to get into its 

 mouth, and then the leaves were concealed in a large bunch of fresh 

 lupine leaves. 



A supply of plants gathered on the evening of May 22, when the 

 flowering stem was still crisp and in bud, was kept turgid over night 

 and then separated into two portions — the well -cleaned bulbs, includ- 

 ing about an inch of the stem, which weighed 45.6 grams, and the tops, 

 which weighed 55.5 grams. These were ground separately in a sausage 

 mill and then macerated for about an hour with about 100 cubic centi- 

 meters of lukewarm distilled water. Both leaves and roots had a 

 decidedly soapy feeling when mashed up with water in the hands. 

 The pure juice was distinctly irritating when left on the hands for 

 several minutes. The aqueo-is extract of the leaves was of a clear 

 green color, that of the -roots turbid and milky. Both were strained 

 through a linen sack and diluted to 110 cubic centimeters. 



Experiment 1. — On May 23, at 2 p. m., 1 cubic centimeter of the 

 leaf extract was injected hypodermically into a rabbit weighing \\ 

 pounds. At the end of fifteen minutes there was a decided appear- 

 ance of uneasiness, the breathing was shallow, and the head moved 

 rythmically, as if the animal were dizzy. Very shortly afterwards the 

 animal fell over in a convulsive fit and then ran forcibly into a wall, 

 thus showing that its eyesight was affected. The breathing speedily 



