Bird Lime, a glutinous, viscid substance, of greenish color and bitterish taste, prepared by boiling the middle bark of the European holly (ilex aquifolium), or the young shoots of elder and other plants, as the mistletoe and other parasites, separating the gummy matter from the liquid, and leaving it for a fortnight in a moist cool place to become viscid. It is next pounded into a tough paste, well washed, and put aside for some days to ferment. Some oil or thin grease is incorporated with it, when it is ready for use. Its characteristic properties appear to identify it with the principle glu of the French chemists, which exudes spontaneously from certain plants. It differs from resins in being insoluble in the fixed oils. Bird lime is so tenacious that small birds alighting upon sticks daubed over with it are unable to escape. It is used for this purpose and also for destroying insects. Large quantities of it were formerly exported from Great Britain to India, but it is now imported into England from Turkey.