Fwd: amygdalin > hydrogen cyanide

Peach and apricot kernels do contain some of the poisonous compound
amygdalin found in bitter almonds and in their outer casing. But this
is not very poisonous because persipan, a marzipan substitute, is made
from peach and apricot kernels (don’t know how it is prepared though).
The flavour of apricot jam is much improved by including a kernel or two
in each jar of jam. I wouldn’t sit down and eat a lot of peach kernels,
but I don’t think they are likely to be fatal
I presume the cockatoo is eating the fruit as well as the kernels. As
birds go they are pretty tough. King Parrots ate my peaches last year,
but i don’t think they bothere d
Sweet almond contains much less poison than bitter – old recipes
recommend using one bitter almond to 100 sweet to improve flavour, but
not more.
I remember an old record of a sparrow which dropped dead after
pecking an unripe green almond. As a child I was told that attempting
to eat green almonds would have fatal results.

Anthea Fleming

On 10/12/2018 1:08 PM, Peter Shute wrote:
> I’m forwarding the message below because for some reason they’re not
> reaching the list server. Replies to the list or to Judith, please.
>
> Peter Shute
> with the stones.
> ———- Forwarded message ———-
> From: Judithla< jlukin01@gmail.com>
> Date: Saturday, 8 December 2018
> Subject: amygdalin> hydrogen cyanide
> To: birding-aus@birding-aus.org
>
> Each day a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is visiting an old peach tree in
> my garden. Since ex-TC Tracy the local population of Rainbow Lorikeets
> hasn’t come back, so the tree fruits quietly. Watching this lone
> cockatoo yesterday, I realised that it’s chopping the flesh off in
> order to eat the kernels. How is it still alive? …Any other records of
> this?
>
> Judith
> SEQ 500m
>
>
>
>