THE BEE. 73 



a yellow colouring matter, a little wax, gum, and, 

 according to some authors*, an aromatic princi- 

 ple, and a slight trace of what appears to be acetic 

 acid. 



You see, therefore, that BYenpure honey is a very 

 strange compound, and, possessing as it does consider- 

 able value, you will not be surprised to hear that it 

 is rendered still more complex by adulteration. This 

 is effected by various means, some of which render 

 it more liquid, others more solid ; and if we have 

 recourse to the microscope, an instrument that has 

 done so much towards exposing the dishonest prac- 

 tices of traders, we shall find that when honey is 

 adulterated with sugar there is a marked diflFerence 

 in the form of the crystals that it contains. 



Fig. 4, a in PI. VIII., represents a thin crystal of 

 ordinary honey, and fig. 4, b one of sugar, whilst fig. 

 4, c is a partially dissolved crystal of the latter sub- 

 stance that has been detected iu honey f. 



There are two qualities of this product : Virgin 

 Honey, which is allowed to run from the comb, and, 

 being therefore unmixed with any foreign substance, 

 is the purest and most valuable; and another kind 

 that is expressed from the comb, after the first has 

 run off. 



The finest description of honey, known as pure 

 Narbonne, is produced iu the central provinces of 



* Richard, &c. 



t The other materials employed in the adulteration of honey 

 are potato-starch, oil, pipeclay (!), &c. 



E 



