LESS IMPORTANT SPECIES. 128 



5 grams of the green plant, was fed at 12.7 o'clock to a small rabbit 

 weighing about li pounds, and as no effect was noted up to 3.2 o'clock 

 14 c. c. more was administered. At 4.5 o'clock the rabbit was dejected 

 and very uneas}^ as was plainly evident from its labored respiration 

 and its frightened actions, s3-mptoms which were maintained until after 

 5.30 o'clock. At 9 o'clock the next morning the heart action and res- 

 piration were still exceedingly weak and rapid, the rate of the latter 

 being over 150 a minute. The posterior part of the body was weak, 

 being more or less decumbent. The animal was almost too weak to 

 move its legs into a comfortable position after they had purposely been 

 placed in an awkward way. It would not eat or drink even when 

 coaxed. On June 8 the respiration and heart action had improved, 

 and it began to eat with relish. On June 9 the appetite had greatly 

 improved, so that observations were discontinued, although the func- 

 tions of the heart and lungs had not yet become normal. 



TALL CONE FLOW^ER. 



{Rudhechia laciniata L.) 



This plant is known in Montana as wild sunflower and by other local 

 names. The plant attains a height of from 2 to 7 feet, and is usually 

 smooth, except for a slight roughness of the margins and upper sur- 

 face of the leaves. The root leaves are divided into from 5 to 7 parts 

 and those of the lower portion of the stem into 3 to 5 parts, while the 

 uppermost leaves are 3-parted. The flower heads are from 2 to 3 

 inches across, with yellow drooping raj's and a dull yellow disk. The 

 plant grows in all parts of Montana in moist places, especially along 

 the banks of streams and irrigating ditches. 



In the summer of 1898 a farmer in the Gallatin Valley sheared his 

 sheep, numbering about 100, during the first half of June. Soon after 

 shearing, a season of cold TlMwj weather set in and the sheep sought 

 shelter during that period. For two or three days they grazed exclu- 

 sively in a small area of timber through which ran several streams. 

 The tall cone flower was the most conspicuous plant in this area and 

 stood about 2 feet high. During the time in question the sheep fed 

 almost exclusively upon this plant. On the second day about 20 of 

 the sheep showed symptoms of poisoning, and of this number 7. died. 

 The symptoms were not observed by us and were Yery imperfectly 

 described b}^ the owner of the sheep. The sheep were at once driven 

 away from this locality, with the result that no further case of poison- 

 ing occurred. No other plant which could possibly be suspected was 

 to be found in the locality where the sheep were poisoned and appear- 

 ances pointed strongly to this plant as the cause of the trouble. Speci- 

 mens of the plant have also been sent to this Department from Missouri 

 with the complaint that it is not infrequently fatal to hogs. 



