April 1, 1885.] 



THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 



391 



Sibericus), which inhabits the Siberian side of those mountains, is the 

 most inferior of all. 



The Chinese have known musk for many ages ; they call it shay 

 Tieang, shay being the name of the animal, and heang meaning perfume. 

 Tavernier is the first European traveller who mentions the precious 

 drug, and says he bought 7,673 pods in one of his journeys, which 

 shows how plentiful it must have been, even at that early period. He 

 gives the following description of musk-deer hunting, which takes place 

 in February and March, when hunger drives these animals from their 

 wild snowy haunts towards cultivated regions : — " At that time," says 

 Tavernier, " the hunters lie in wait for them with snares, and kill them 

 with arrows and sticks. They are so lean and exhausted through the 

 hunger they have endured, that they are easily pursued and over- 

 taken."* The accompanying illustration, faithfully copied from a 



< Musk-Deer Hunting. (From a Chinese Drawing.) 



Chinese drawing, in which were wrapt up some musk-pods I purchased 

 lately, would tend to prove that the same weapons are still used in the 

 musk-deer chase. 



Musk is an unctuous substance of a reddish-brown colour, which 

 soon becomes black by exposure to air. It is so powerful that, according 

 to Chardin's authority, the hunter is obliged to have his mouth and 

 nose stopped with folds of linen when he cuts off the bag from the 

 animal, as otherwise the pungent smell would cause haemorrhage, some- 

 times ending in death. As, however, the natives take good care to 



* ' Voyage de Jean Baptists Tavernier,' vol. iv., p. 75, 



