CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 75 



as other acids do, Any blue flowers, being a little 

 bruised, and a drop of spirit of salt, vitriol, &c. dropped 

 upon them, do instantly turn red ; but if you drop these 

 spirits upon the surface of the flowers, whilst they remain 

 whole and unbruised, they change not at ah 1 ; and I sup- 

 pose that spirit of vinegar dropped cold upon them 

 would make no alteration, but if you heat it, then the 

 warmth of it opens the pores of your flowers, whereby the 

 spirit doth easily commix itself with the contained juice, 

 and thereby presently changeth their colour; and it is 

 probable any other acid liquor would effect the like 

 change, if it were heated beforehand. It is probable to 

 rne, at present, the juice contained in the body of the 

 pismire^ all of it acid, and of the same nature with that 

 included in their stings, which may appear from the 

 spirit that is distilled from them, which surely does not 

 all come from their stings ; as likewise, if you bruise a 

 pismire upon any blue flower, the expressed juice will 

 tinge the flower. Now, though it be likely enough that 

 the liquor which comes from the stings of bees, wasps, 

 &c. being corrosive, may discolour flowers, yet I believe 

 the juice expressed from their bodies will not do the 

 same, though as yet I have not made trial. It may be 

 a query whether the liquor of pismires be not stronger, 

 and more penetrating, than any of the above-mentioned 

 acids. If so be that the liquor dropped upon the surface 

 of the flowers, whilst they are whole and unbruised, do 

 turn them red, then it is manifest it is ; but if the liquor 

 be conveyed through the sting, which (the ants being 

 angered from stirring of their hill) they thrust into the 

 body of the flower, then the doubt will remain, because 

 then the liquor does immediately mix itself with the 

 juice of the flower. If so be that the weak spirit of 

 pismires you mentioned, that immediately turned the 

 borage flowers red, were not heated, it seems to evince 

 that their spirit is stronger than any of the rest ; but 

 these things will be best cleared when the season of the 

 year will permit, Your note upon Mr. Fisher's assert- 



