At a recent meeting of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, the question being on the food of birds during the recent severe snow storm, the chairman, Mr. Thomas Meehan, stated that crows were seen greedily feeding on the seeds or rather fruit of the Poison vine. Numbers of dead crows were found in the vicinity a few days after the storm, but it was probably owing to the severity of that terrible night than to the Poison Rhus, for, though he had known of skin-poisoning by those collecting the seeds, there was abundant reason for the belief that the Rhus was not poisonous when taken internally. Some note of these remarks has appeared in the public prints, and we have the following interesting paragraph from Mr. N. P. Scudder, of the Smithsonian Institution:

"I see by Science of March 5, a notice of your communication to the Academy, February 23, relating to the poison ivy, R. radicans. I was much astonished to see my horse last fall eat in abundance this plant without injury. At first I endeavored to prevent his eating this plant, but soon gave up the attempt and the horse had his fill, preferring the Rhus to grass".

We may add to this note of Dr. Scudder, that cows eat the poison Ivy or Rhus greedily, and some farmers attribute "ropy" milk to this food. This is however mere guess work, as this trouble with milk often occurs in districts free from the pest. We have known men in a spirit of bravado, and to prove their pretended belief that the plant "would not hurt anybody," chew the leaves without any injury resulting. That the plant will poison people, is all too true, but just how it does so is as yet a mystery.