TALL LARKSPUE. 69 



p. m. The rabbit was, however, very unwell for several days after- 

 wards. On June 2 the motion of the head backward and forward, 

 characteristic of the water extract of the purple larkspur, was very 

 pronounced, but neither on June 1 nor June 2 was any spasmodic 

 twitching of- the muscles noted. As the rabbit could not, however, be 

 closely observed more than an hour or two during all of that time 

 these symptoms might easily have been unobserved. The rapid but 

 feeble and wheezy respiration, the rapid heart beats, and the evident 

 malaise continued with loss of appetite on the third, fourth, and fifth. 

 On June 6, 14 c. c. more of the same extract, which had as yet shown 

 no signs of molding, was fed, but no additional symptoms were noted 

 on that day. The respiration was extremely rapid (over 110 a minute) 

 and irregular, and the next morning the animal showed a strong dis- 

 inclination to move even when urged. It also refused to eat. On 

 June 9 it appeared to be quite well. On June 13 it was somewhat 

 droopy, but it eventually recovered. 



Experiment 3. — Fifty grams, including the succulent leaves and 

 stems of nonflowering plants collected on Bridger Peak on the morn- 

 ing of June 11, was fed that afternoon, while the plants were still 

 fresh, to each of two rabbits, numbers 28 and 88 respectively, which 

 had been deprived of their breakfasts. A third amount of equal 

 weight was exposed in an adjoining pen in order to ascertain the loss 

 of weight due to evaporation. After six hours the check had lost 30 

 per cent of its weight. Rabbit number 28 had, during this time, eaten 

 all but 6i grams, while number 88 had eaten all but 22^ grams. The 

 actual amount eaten was, therefore, approximately 42 grams and 22 

 grams. Neither quantity proved fatal. Lack of time forbade any 

 but the most casual observations on these rabbits and no symptoms 

 were noted. Both were bright and vigorous the next day, but number 

 28, which had eaten the larger amount of leaves, was more easily 

 frightened than usual. 



Experiment Jf-. — Late in the evening of June 12, li c. c, of the 

 expressed juice of the fresh leaves gathered June 11 was given hypo- 

 dermically to each of two rabbits, but no characteristic symptoms of 

 poisoning were noted, the rabbits appearing but slightly ill at ease the 

 next morning. 



Experiment 5. — The extracts used in this and the two following 

 experiments were obtained from a part of the suppl}^ of nonflowering 

 plants gathered on June 11 on Bridger Pe'ak, part of which was used 

 in the two preceding experiments. All three of the tests were made 

 on sheep at Bigtimber on June 14. 



On June 12, 1,700 grams of the fresh leaves and stems was ground 

 up in a sausage mill, care being taken to save the juice which was 

 pressed out at the same time. The fibrous portion was then placed 



