Of the different Kinds of Honey. 213 
mine. My opinion is, that the candyine of 
honey proceeds partly from 'the nature of the 
flowers from which it is collected, and partly 
from the time that it has remained in the hive. 
But againft this laft fuppofition an objection 
arifes, from this confideration, that the very 
fineft of what is called virgin honey, will fome- 
times candy very foon after it has run from the 
combs, and become like fine white fagar*. 43 
This fine white honey is colle€ted from white 
clover, and alfo from fome other flowers which 
yield a white juice, and it is reckoned by moft 
people the fineft of honey. . But the fpecies of 
honey which continues longeft in a liquid flate, 
and 
* Many authors affirm, that honey, candied in the comb, is ve- 
ty deftructive to ‘bees, and alledge, that they may as well eat 
poifon; others infift, that it chokes them; while a third clafs 
alledge, that it hurts them by bedaubing them, with many o- 
ther whimfical fuppofitions. But thefe authors certainly have 
either taken their own dreams for realities, or have Wrote upon 
truft; which they certainly ought not, in a cafe that can be fo 
eafily decided by experiment. For let any perfon put a piece 
of comb into a hive, with the honey in the cells, partly candied 
and partly liquid, and he will find, that the bees will foon fuck 
up all the liquid honey in the upper parts of the cells; and if 
the middle part of the honey be candied, they will throw it out, 
and thus get at the liquid honey in the under parts ;—which 
they will chearfully feed upon, without either choking, bedaub- 
ing, or poifoning themfelves with it, and rejoice that they have 
got fo much provifion at fo little experce of time and labour. 
