PURPLE LARKSPUR. 79 



leaves show conclusively that the eating of these in sufficient quantity 

 is an adequate cause of death. The observation is of much value in 

 emphasizing' the necessity for herders to become thoroughl}^ familiar 

 with the larkspur in its earlier stages of growth. This is all the more 

 important because the leaves, being succulent onh^ when young, at 

 which time they also constitute the earliest verdure in pasture land, 

 are then especially tempting to stock. It is to facilitate the ready rec- 

 ognition of the young leaves that PI; V is herewith supplied. Great 

 care must be observed, however, in distinguishing the leaves from the 

 earliest leaves of the red false mallow {Jla/vastt'iim cocciiwion Gray) 

 (PI. VI), a noupoisonous plant which is extremel}^ common in many 

 pasture lands throughout the State. The show}' red rose-like blos- 

 soms of the mallow, which appear from May to August, readily dis- 

 tinguish it from the larkspur, but before flowering the two plants may 

 be easil}" mistaken on account of the close resemblance of the leaves. 

 In both they are very finel}" divided, as shown in Pis. V and VI, but 

 the mallow leaf is smaller and very much more densely covered with 

 hair than the most hairy form of the purple larkspur. From the 

 smooth form, which is most common, it may be distinguished at once, 

 and an ordinary magnifying glass will easily disclose the peculiarly 

 compound and radiating character of the mallow-leaf hairs. 



SYMPTOMS OF POISONING. 



The svmptoms of poisoning from larkspur are, as before stated, 

 generally to be distinguished from those of poisoning hj death camas 

 in its later stages. These two plants produce effects which at first are 

 not very unlike. In cases of poisoning by either the first symptoms 

 are almost invariabh^ a stiffness and slight irregularity in gait. As 

 the poisoning progresses regurgitation occurs in both, but is more 

 pronounced in cases of poisoning from death camas than in those 

 caused by larkspur. The final stages in cases of larkspur poisoning 

 are accompanied by attacks of violent spasms interrupted b}^ periods 

 of rest. The last stages of death camas poisoning, on the other hand, 

 are passed in a state of complete muscular paralysis. 



Attention has already been called to arbitrar}^ variations in the 

 appetite of domesticated animals. This fact is illustrated under 

 range conditions b}^ the changes in the choice of food plants b}' stock 

 in different j^ears. During two previous seasons quite conclusive 

 evidence was obtained that large numbers of sheep were poisoned from 

 eating the purple larkspur. During the summer of ] 900, however, no 

 sheep were seen eating the plant, and no evidence was obtained to 

 show that it had been eaten. On one range a band of sheep were 

 driven over an area of purple larkspur twice each da}-^ in going in and 

 out of the corral. A close examination of this field of larkspur failed 

 to disclose a single specimen which had been eaten b}' the sheep. 



