THE HONEY-BE*.. 49 



in this decline of the flowering season, recourse to 

 the foul marsh and slimy pool, which they are 

 charged with frequenting ? Simply because the pur- 

 poses for which they did frequent these unwholesome 

 liquids have already been answered. The truth is, 

 the Bees have recourse in spring, but generally 

 speaking, in spring only, to dunghills and stagnant 

 marshes, for the sake of the salts with which they 

 are impregnated, and which their instinct teaches 

 tli em are advantageous to their health after their 

 long winter confinement. If we place before the 

 Bees a portion of honey, and a portion of liquid 

 drawn from a corrupt source, their choice will com- 

 pletely vindicate the purity of their taste, and their 

 power of discrimination in the selection of their food. 

 It is not meant to be denied, however, that the 

 sense of taste in Bees is ever at fault. This would 

 be going in the face of some well authenticated in- 

 stances of honey being injured, and even rendered 

 dangerous, in consequence of the Bees feeding on 

 noxious plants. Towards the close of the year, 

 when flowers become scarce, and in those parts 

 of the country where alders abound, and where 

 onions and leeks are cultivated on a large scale, and 

 allowed to run to seed, the Bees, from taste, or from 

 necessity, or from anxiety to complete their winter 

 stores, are seen to feed on these plants, which com- 

 municate to the honey a very disagreeable flavour. 

 But this is not all. The fact stated by Xenophon 

 in the retreat of the Ten Thousand, and confirmed 

 by Diodorus Siculus, proves that there are plants in 



