Br. Hulfe to Mr. K.ay. 8 3 



Powders of Chalk, Pearl, &c. as other Acids do. 

 Any blue Flowers being a little bruifeds and a Drop 

 of Spirit of Salt, Vitriol, &c. dropt upon them, do 

 inftantly turn red ; but if you drop thefe Spirits upon 

 the Surface of the Flowers, whilft they remain 

 whole and unbruis'd, they change not at all ; and I 

 fuppofe that Spirit of Vinegar, dropt cold upon them, 

 would make no Alteration j but if you heat it, then 

 the Warmth of it opens the Pores of your Flowers, 

 whereby the Spirit doth eafily commix it ielf with 

 the contained Juice, and thereby prefently changeth 

 their Colour : And it's probable any other acid Liquor 

 would effect the like Change, if it were heated be- 

 forehand. It is probable to me, at prefent, the Juice 

 contained in the Body of the Pifmire is all of it acid, 

 and of the fame Nature with that included in their 

 Stings, which may appear from the Spirit that is di- 

 ftilled from them, which furely does not all come 

 from their Stings \ as likewifc, if you bruife a Pif- 

 mire upon any blue Flower, the expreffed Juice will 

 tinge the Flower. Now, tho' it be likely enough, 

 that the Liquor which comes from the Stings of Bees, 

 Wafps, &c. being corrofive, may difcolour Flowers j 

 yet I believe the. Juice expreffed from their Bodies, 

 will not do the lame, though as yet I have not made 

 Tryal. It may be a Quaere whether the Liquor of 

 Pifmires be not ftronger, and more penetrating, than 

 any of the above-mention'd Acids. If fo be that the 

 Liquor dropt upon the Surface of the Flowers, whilft 

 they are whole and unbruis'd, do turn them red, then 

 it is man ire It it is 5 but if the Liquor be conveyed 

 through the Sting, which (the Ants being angred 

 from itirring of their Hill) they thru ft into the Body 

 of the Flower, then the Doubt will remain, becaufe 

 then the Liquor does immediately mix it felf with 

 the Juice of the .Flower. If fo be that the weak 

 Spirit of Pifmires you mention'd, that immediately 

 turn*4 the Borax Flowers red, were not heated, it 



. M 2, feems 



