a Reddish-brown to reddish-purple “Java” Beans (Phaseolus lunatus); b “Red Rangoon” Beans (P. lunatus); c “Large White” Beans (P. lunatus); d Castor Oil Beans (Ricinus communis); e “Indian Peas” (Lathyrus sativus), from Bombay; f Ergot (Claviceps purpurea), from Spain. All natural size.

As in the case of a previous volume, Common Weeds of the Farmand Garden, the preparation of this handbook was undertakenbecause of the great lack of readily available and reliable informationon the subject in English scientific literature. Many of the facts wereknown to a few interested persons, but many others were so scatteredhere and there in technical reports and journals that they were scarcelyknown even to expert chemists and botanists. The bringing of thisinformation together in some sort of order has involved considerablelabour extending over several years, but if the volume be found helpfulto those for whose use it has been prepared I shall feel more thangratified.

That the subject is of importance is fully realised by farmers andveterinary surgeons alike, for the annual loss of stock due to poisonousplants, though not ascertainable, is undoubtedly considerable. It wasfelt that notes on mechanical injury caused by plants and on theinfluence of plants on milk might usefully be included, as in somedegree related to poisoning; this has therefore been done. On theother hand, a number of cultivated plants (e.g