232 HISTOEY OF BRITISH FEENS. 



view, it is, at least in this country, of very small importance. 

 It is, however, stated to be used in Sweden as food for 

 cattle, "in order that the cows may give more milk;" and 

 in Lapland, it is, even when dry, eaten with avidity by the 

 rein-deer, though they will not touch common hay. Linnaeus 

 censures the improvidence of the Laplanders, in not pro- 

 viding during summer a supply of this plant and of the 

 Rein- deer Moss, for winter use; thus making some provision 

 for their herds at a. time when the ground is covered with 

 frost-bound snow, so as not to risk the loss of their most 

 valuable or entire possessions. An instance is related by Mr. 

 Knapp, in which a colony of the short-tailed water-rats 

 made this plant their food, and in the evening might be 

 heard champing it at many yards' distance. 



EQUISETUM MACKAYI, Newman. Dr. Mackay's Eough 

 Horsetail. 



This plant, on its discovery in the United Kingdom 

 being first make known, was named K elongatum by Sir 

 W. J. Hooker. Mr. Newman has, however, since shown 

 that it is not the species to which that name belongs, and 

 he has given it that which we employ, it being applied in 

 compliment to one of the original discoverers of the plant. 



It is one of those species in which the stems that pro- 



