148 BOTANY AS APPLIED TO VETERINARY SCIENCE. 
is not relished by cattle, on account of its bitter taste. Pro¬ 
fessor Buckman says, “ that the very bitter taste would almost 
point it out as of medicinal use.” And from the large amount 
of bitter extractive it contains, I have every reason to believe 
that it would be found a useful vegetable tonic, in the form 
of either infusion, or extract, both for man and animals. I 
have found this grass likewise much affected with ergot. 
Lolium (darnel or rye grass).— <s Glume , one valve to the 
lateral (not transverse), locustce , two to the terminal one; 
glumels , sometimes awned.” (Buckman.) 
There are three principal varieties of this grass, viz., the 
L. perenne, L. Italicum and L. lemulactune. This latter I pur¬ 
pose making some observations upon, when offering some 
remarks upon the poisonous plants. 
Lolium perenne (perennial rye grass).— “Locustce of from 
six to eight florets, awnless ; leaves mostly upright, of a dark 
green hue; of this there are several varieties.” (Buckman.) 
This exceedingly valuable perennial grass is found distri¬ 
buted over most parts of England, attaining a height of 
from six inches to two feet, according to the situation in 
which it grows. It flowers in June and July, and ripens its 
seed from the beginning to the end of August. Professor 
Buckman says, “ its properties are such as to render it 
very valuable to the farmer, as it soon arrives at maturity, 
yields a good weight to the rick, and in the meadow stands 
depasturing to any extent, yielding a perennial supply of good 
succulent leaves, which are readily eaten by stock of all kinds.” 
It contains 65 per cent, of starch, 7 of sugar, and 28 of 
extractive and saline matters. 
In the Veterinarian for 1857*8, some very interesting papers 
will be found, by Messrs. Small, Armatage, Litt, Robertson, 
Evans, Storar, Withers, &c., in which paralysis had been 
produced by horses having partaken of this grass in the 
end of summer and in the commencement of autumn. 
By some of the writers this diseased condition of the ani¬ 
mal is thought to have been produced by their feeding upon 
a large quantity of the indigestible fibrous stems of this 
grass. But it is somewhat singular that the English rye 
grass should alone produce this (which appears to have been 
the case), when most of the other grasses at this season of 
the year are in a similar condition. I am much more in¬ 
clined to the opinion of Mr. Storar and Mr. Litt, who have 
ascribed the effects to be produced by “ some paralysis- 
producing principle in the rye grass.” What this agent is 
I am not prepared to say, but the great extent to which I 
have found this grass affected with ergot (more so than 
