INSECTS PRODUCING WAX, RESIN, HONEY, MANNA. 87 



owes a certain fragrance or flavour for which it is 

 much prized. Such is the case with the honey of 

 Mount Ida, in Crete ; hence also the perfume of 

 Narbonne honey, of the honey of Chamounix, and 

 of our own moorland honey when the heather is in 

 bloom. 



Honey is extracted from the comb by gently 

 heating the latter and letting as much as possible 

 run out, When no more can be extracted in this 

 manner, the comb is again gently heated and 

 pressed. Hence two distinct qualities of honey. 

 The comb which has been pressed is treated with 

 water, and furnishes a liquid which, on being fer- 

 mented, produces hydromel, a sort of vinous liquid 

 employed in medicine. Finally the combs are 

 placed in sacks and submitted to the action of boil- 

 ing water to obtain the wax. Honey is employed 

 as an agreeable aliment ; it is used in various forms 

 for medicinal purposes, and enters into the compo- 

 sition of gingerbread. 



Honey can be artificially made by boiling wood, 

 linnen, cotton, or starch in water acidulated with sul- 

 phuric acid. The liquid is allowed to boil from ten 

 to twenty hours, and the water replaced as it evapo- 

 rates. The acid liquid is then saturated with chalk, 

 filtered, and evaporated, when a syrup resembling 

 honey is obtained. This syrup is indeed composed 

 of grape sugar, mixed with a small quantity of 



