80 ALLISON — ON THE METEOROLOGY OF HALIFAX. 



Pontica, Linn.,] from its killing beasts and especially goats ; from 

 the flowers of this plant bees gather a dangerous poison, when it 

 decays in a wet spring. The signs of poisonous honey are : it does 

 not thicken at all, its colour is rather red, its strange smell 

 immediately produces sneezing and it is heavier than harmless 

 honey. Those who have eaten it throw themselves on the ground, 

 trying to cool themselves, for they burst into a profuse perspiration. 

 There are many cures which we will mention in their proper places. 

 But as the danger is great, it may be as well to indicate some at 

 once ; such as old mead made of the best honey and of rue, and 

 salt fish taken frequently if it be thrown up. It is certain also that 

 this poison reaches dogs through the excrement, and that they are 

 put in like pain. However it is well known that mead made of it 

 when kept till old is quite harmless, and that women's complexions 

 are not improved by anything better than by this when combined 

 with costus (an oriental aromatic plant) and with bruised aloe." 



JPliny^s i^atural History, XXI. ^ 45. — '*In the same region 

 of Pontus in the tribe of the Sanni there is another kind of honey 

 which is called m^onomenon (maddening) from the madness it 

 produces. It is supposed to be collected from the flower of the 

 rhododendron, with which the woods abound, and when this tribe 

 give the Romans wax as tribute, they do not sell the honey because 

 it is fatal." 



Straho's Geogi^aphy, Booh XII., Sec. 18, (Ed. Teub.) 

 '^The Heptacometae (a people of Pontus) destroyed three cohorts of 

 Pompey which were marching through the mountains by putting on 

 the roads cups of maddening (msenomenon) honey, which the twigs 

 of trees produce, for they easily slew the soldiers who were driven 

 mad by the draught." 



Art. IX. — On the Meteoeology of Halifax. By Fred- 

 erick Allison, Esq. 



{Read May 8, 1871.; 



January, 1870, was a month of unusual warmth, more than 

 7^ above the average temperature of eight years, and not approached 

 by any January since 1863. The pressure was great on the whole. 

 Some of its more remarkable peculiarities are noticed in a paper 

 read by me before this Institute in May last. Cloud was rathe? 



