54 On the poisonous HONEY 



I have good reafons for doubting whether the figns 

 which I have mentioned will enable us, in every in- 

 ftance, to determine whether honey be poifonous or 

 innocent. 



The honey of the bee, undoubtedly fometimes par- 

 takes of the colour of the flowers from which it is ga- 

 thered. The bees gather honey from many flowers of a 

 crimfon colour, and from many flowers whofe colour is 

 a reddifh brown. In thefe cafes, it is probable that the 

 honey will fometimes borrow, in fome degree, the colour 

 of the flowers. Yet there are many crimfon-coloured 

 and reddiih-brown coloured flowers that are perfeftly in- 

 nocent. The honey obtained from them will, I pre- 

 fume, be innocent alio. Mr. Bruce fays he was furprifed 

 to fee, at Dixan, in Abyfl^mia, " the honey red like blood, 

 and nothing," he remarks, " can have an appearance 

 more difgufling than this, when mixed with melted but- 

 ter."* Nothing is faid, by this author, that can lead us 

 to fuppofe that the Dixan honey was poifonous. From 

 the manner in which it is mentioned, it is pretty evident 

 that it was not poifonous. Linnxus, informs us that in 

 Sweden the honey, in the autumn, is principally gather- 

 ed from the flowers of the erica, or heath, and that 

 this honey is of a fomewhat reddilh colour; and accord- 

 ingly, he obferves, thofe provinces of the country that 

 are deftifute of the heath, fuch as the province of Oelan- 

 dia, furnifli a white honey.-f- The great naturalifl: fays 

 nothing concerning the properties of the heath-honey. 

 However, we may prefume, when we recolledt the mi- 

 nute accuracy of Linnxus, that this honey did not pof- 

 fefs any dangerous properties, otherwife he would have 

 noticed the circumfliance. Whilft 1 refided in Edinburgh, 



I had 



* Travels to difcover die fourcc of the Nile, Vol. V. or Appendix, p. 

 ijl. Quarto edition, 

 f Fauna Suecica. 



