118 STOCK-POiSONING PLANTS OF MONTANA. 



which could be considered poisonous was found in the hay. Art 

 examination of the meadow showed a similar condition there, namely, 

 the presence of a considerable quantity of swamp camas, but of no 

 other plant of a poisonous nature. It should be observed that this 

 species of Zygadenus does not dry up so rapidly as does death camas, 

 and being coarser the vegetative portion was conspicuous in the hay. 

 This was the only case observed where the plant was suspected of 

 poisoning hay. 



On another ranch in a different part of the State six cattle were 

 poisoned while feeding in a wet pasture where swamp camas grew in 

 abundance, and two of the number died. The symptoms manifested 

 by these cattle were as nearly identical with those displayed by sheep 

 in cases of poisoning by death camas as the natures of the two ani- 

 mals would permit. Postmortem examination of these two animals 

 revealed the same anatomical conditions as those found in sheep 

 which had died from eating death camas. Larger quantities of swamp 

 camas were found in the stomachs of the dead animals. The observa- 

 tions thus far made on this species seem to indicate the presence of a 

 poisonous principle similar to that found in death camas. 



SHOWY MILKWEED. 



{Asclepias speciosa Torr.) 



A perennial 2 to 5 feet high, wnth a simple stem, milky juice, large, 

 opposite, entire leaves, purplish flowers in spherical clusters, and large 

 pods containing numerous seeds with fine, silk}^ hairs (PI. XIX). The 

 plant blossoms in June and July, and is found in wet bottom land and 

 along damp railroad embankments at Helena, Ravalli, and various 

 points in the Bitter Root Valley, and in Beaver Head, Gallatin, Cho- 

 teau, Flathead, and Sweet Grass counties, and along the Yellowstone 

 Valley. The general distribution of this species is from Nebraska to- 

 Arkansas and across the continent westward. 



On June 1 12i grams of the budding top, including the stem and 

 several leaves of the plant, collected May 30, was offered to a small 

 rabbit weighing about a pound, which had been deprived of its break- 

 fast. All of the material, which had been kept in a closed collecting 

 can and was turgid with milky juice, was eateri within a couple of 

 hours without an}^ ill effect arising therefrom. Thirty grams more 

 was offered in the evening of the same day to the same rabbit. All of 

 this, save a small portion of the juicy stem weighing 12 grams, was 

 eaten by the next morning. No ill effect having been noted, 92 grams, 

 including the whole length of the plant, was offered to the same rabbit 

 the next day. The animal, although it had been deprived of its food 

 since noon of the preceding day, merel}^ nibbled at the leaves. In 

 other ways, also, it exhibited an evident dislike for the plant. After a 

 few hours 57 grams of the badly desiccated plant remained uneaten. 



