260 JOURNAL OP THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
area, or the whole counties of Devon and Cornwall, it seems we 
must find a local or peculiar range attaching to some or other of 
the Umbelliferm, and this independently of existing conditions. 
Forty years ago the species of the genus CEnanthe were not all 
clearly discriminated by British botanists, so some of the older 
records need verification, and a botanist would be doing a useful 
work in carefully tracing out the respective ranges, and verifying 
the older statements of occurrence, in Devon and Cornwall, of 
the three species I have mentioned, and ascertaining also if CE. 
silaifolia, Bieh., and CE. Phellandrium, Lam., do really occur any- 
where in Devon. 
Of late years the anciently-reputed poisonous properties of several 
of the Umbelliferm have been questioned, but that certain species 
are of really a deadly nature does not admit of doubt. The 
violently poisonous nature of the tuberous roots of CEnanthe 
crocata, L., Hemlock Water Drop wort, was clearly proved in our 
neighbourhood in March, 1881, by the death of Georgio Giovanni, 
a Greek sailor, of the brig Orpheus, of Syra, through eating of 
them. The vessel having put in at Plymouth, he came ashore 
with others of the crew to obtain water at Jennycliff, and when 
there pulled from the cliff bank some of this CEnanthe, and ate 
one and a half of its tubers. About one hour and a half after- 
wards he became unwell, and was subsequently taken to the South 
Devon and East Cornwall Hospital, where he died of paralysis of 
the heart and muscles in about three hours and a half after being 
taken ill. Two of his companions, who had also eaten of the 
plant, became alarmingly ill, but recovered. 
The extreme limit of Silaus pratensis, L., in a south-west 
direction, should be carefully sought out. It occurs in several parts 
of the Teign Basin, but has not been met with in the south- 
western portion of Devon, nor anywhere in Cornwall. Two of 
the three British species of Torilis maintain the characteristic of 
local distribution belonging to so many of the Umbelliferai. Torilis 
infesta, Spreng., does not reach the western parts of Devon, and is 
unknown in Cornwall. In it we find the remarkable feature of 
limited range shown in an annual and colonist species, seemingly 
well adapted for wide diffusion by reason of having fruit with 
" spreading asperous prickles hooked at the tip." The range of 
Torilis nodosa, Gaert., seems in large measure dependent on 
climatal or soil conditions, conducing to warmth and dryness. 
