LOLIUM. 



217 



species in the wholesome grass tribe. The seeds are 

 said to be intoxicating to men, beasts, and birds, and 

 even to cause convulsions 

 and death. A farmer at 

 Poictiers is said to have 

 killed himself by persisting 

 in eating Darnel bread. He 

 also made his wife and ser- 

 vant eat of it, but they es- 

 caped with severe sickness. 

 Old Gerarde says, a The 

 new bread wherein Darnel is 

 causeth drunkenness. Dar- 

 nel hurteth the eies and 

 maketh them dim, if it hap- 

 pen in corn either for bread 

 or drink; which thing Ovid, in his third book, hath 

 mentioned, and hereupon it seemeth that the old pro- 

 verbe came, that such as are dim sighted should be saide 

 to eat of Darnel." These assertions sound very dread- 

 ful, but they are chiefly " hear-say," and we feel more 

 sympathy with Sir J. E. Smith's opinion, " We know 

 of no mischief from it in this country." This is always 

 supposed to be the Darnel of the ancients, but that also 

 is far from certain. 



It is distinguished from L. perenne by the length of 

 the outer glume, and by the long awns on the flow r ering 

 glumes. It flowers in July and seeds in August. 



L. temulentum, var. longiaristatum, Long-awned Dar- 

 nel, is a stout variety with still longer awns. Dr. Par- 

 nell tells us of a case of poisoning recorded against this 

 variety, which, if true, is much to its discredit. The 

 symptoms were somnolency, convulsive tremor, and 



