yew. 298 



occurred by their having been eaten by some 

 animal. In August 1822, a valuable riding 

 horse belonging to E. Nicholas, Esq., of Ring- 

 mer, in Sussex, was turned into a close where 

 some sprigs of yew-tree (which had been 

 clipped off in the course of the day by the 

 gardener,) were thrown with other rubbish. 

 The horse ate of the yew-tree clippings, and 

 afterwards drank at a pond, which caused the 

 animals almost immediate death. 



It frequently happens that due caution is 

 not taken to secure these trees, because we 

 do not recollect their having been the cause 

 of accident, and we observe generally an an- 

 tipathy in animals to them ; yet these very 

 animals may, under various circumstances, be 

 induced to eat of it, when least expected, as 

 happened at Chelmsford, in Kent, in January 

 1823 ; when Messrs. Woodward and Co. of 

 that town, turned three of their valuable horses 

 into a small close, adjoining which was a yew- 

 tree. The snow then lay so thick upon the 

 ground as to hide every other vegetable ; the 

 yew-tree therefore, by its tempting verdure, 

 became irresistible. In about three hours 

 from the time that the horses were turned 

 out in perfect health, and full of play, two of 

 them were found dead. Veterinary surgeons 

 were sent for, who soon discovered that these 



u 3 



