334 TilANSACTlOiSS AND PROCEEDINGS OF [Sess. lvi. 



shrubbery, and tlic uwner of the sheep, Mr Wm. Gilchrist, 

 supposed they had eaten part of some of them. The only 

 one, however, that bore evidence of having been slightly 

 nibbled was Ficris fiorihuada, of which Colonel Ninimo en- 

 closed a sprig. On making inquiry, I found that the other 

 plants in the shrubbery consisted of Cupressus Laivsoniana, 

 species of Juwqjcrus and Betinospora, Skimmia japonica, and 

 several hybrid forms of Rhododendron, but none of these 

 had been nibbled by the sheep. The sheep were put into 

 the field on a Saturda}', and by twelve o'clock next day live 

 of them were ill. The first death occurred on Sunday night 

 and the second on Monday morning ; two of the others took 

 two days to recover, and the other three days. The two 

 which died were opened by Mr Lawson, Veterinary Surgeon, 

 and leaves and liowers of Ficris Jlorihumla found in the 

 stomach, but more of the flowers than leaves. Two leaves 

 showing their condition were sent. 



1 am not aware of any previous case having occurred in 

 Scotland of animals having been poisoned through eating 

 this shrub, but there are two remarkable cases recorded in 

 the Gardeners' Chronicle as having occurred in England. 

 In this paper, of date April 20, 1878, Mr Robins of Stoke 

 I'ark, Slough, mentions that he lost a valuable horse through 

 its having eaten a very small quantity of Ficris Jluribuncla. 

 " The horse was working a mowing machine, and during the 

 itljsence for a few minutes of the man in charge it ate a very 

 little of Androiiicdu Jloribunda, and died in great agony 

 in less than twenty-four hours. The contents of the stomach 

 were examined, and found to consist of a small quantity 

 of the shrub, and this mostly the llowcr-buds." 



In an article " On the Poisonous Proptirties of certain 

 Species of Ficris {Andromeda) in the Himalayas " by Dr Cleg- 

 horn, in the Transactions of this Society, vol. ix. p. 410, atten- 

 tion is directed to the following passage in the Gardeners' 

 Chronicle of 17th Marcli 18GG, p. 256, describing the 

 poisonous effects upon a ilock of slieep of Ficris Jloribunda : — 

 " Mrs Deacon of Mapledon lias recently lost no fewer than 

 eighteen sheep through their eating a poisonous shrul). It 

 appears that a short time ago the gates leading into the 

 pleasure-grounds were left open, and thirty-eight sheep which 

 Were grazing in a lield near stiaycd into tlic grt>unds, and 



