iQo POISONS USED IN FISHING, HUNTING, AND TRADE 



The decorticated seeds are made into a paste, which is worked 

 into sharp-pointed little needles, and hardened in the sun. Two 

 of these are inserted by their bases into a wooden handle, and 

 then driven with great force into the animal's flesh. 



The active principle is abrin, a tox-albumin resembling snake- 

 venom, which causes thrombosis and death in from eighteen to 

 twenty-four hours. 



Ornithoglossum glaucum Salisbury, i8o6.- — This plant is the cause 

 of accidental cattle poisoning in South Africa. 



Much has been written of late years with regard to stock poisoning 

 in Australia and elsewhere, but it is rather outside the work of 

 this book to deal further with this matter, to which we give refer- 

 ences at the end of this chapter. We, however, give a list, Vv'hich 

 we owe to the kindness of Mr. Drieberg, of Ceylon plants known 

 to be poisonous to cattle : — 



1. Ammannia haccifera Linnaeus. 



2. Anamirta paniculata [A. cocculus) V/ight and Arnott. 



3. Ariscema curvatum Thwaites. 



4. Chrozophora plicata A. de Jussieu. 



5. Croton tiglium Linnaeus. 



6. Diospyros montana Roxburgh. 



7. Elcedendron glaucum Persoon. 



8. Euphorbia tirucalli Linnaeus. 



9. Excoecaria agallocha Linnaeus. 



10. Datura fastuosa Linnaeus. 



11. Lagenaria vulgaris Seringa. 



12. Lasio Jphon eriocephalus Decaisne. 



13. Lobelia nicotiancefolia He^me. 



14. Manihot utilissima Pohl. 



15. Paspalum scrobimlatum Linnaeus. 



16. Plumbago zeylanica Linnaeus. 



17. Rauwolfia serpentina Bentham. 



18. Rhododendron arboreum Smith. 



19. Ricinus communis Linnaeus. 



20. Sapium insigne Trimen. 



21. Tylophora fasciculata Buch-Ham. 



22. Withania somnifera Dunald. 



RAT POISONING. 



This is generally carried out by means ot yellow phosphorus 

 or arsenic. 



The phosphorus is mixed with glucose to prevent spontaneous 

 combustion, and then made into a paste with a fatty base such as 

 lard ; but it is advisable to vary, from time to time, the atty base, 

 as rats are very knowing and begin to suspect that something is 

 wrong. 



The poison is then spread on bread or made into bread pills, 

 but it is often advised that people who do this should have their 



