222 
cylinder, about 24 inches in height and 15 inches in diameter. At the 
bottom of the cylinder is a network of small strips of bamboo. This 
ev is suspended over the earthen pot, and round the edge of the 
pot is placed a wet cloth, so that all the steam may pass up through the 
cylinder. hen the “ mieng” has been: thoroughly steamed, which is 
ascertained by its having sunk down to a certain point in the cylinder, 
it is left to cool and then taken out and retied, as the bundles have 
decreased in size, and it is then ready foruse. If, however, the * mieng 
is to be kept for any length of time, it is placed in small pits dug in the 
ground and lined with large leaves, and it is then well trodden down to 
press out as much of the liquor as possible. pa is then covered up with 
Fiet for immediate consumption it is not necessary to ri it, E it 
is packed in large baskets, and large stones are placed on it to press out 
the liquor. The liquor which is left in the pot after steaming the 
: b dime 
* mieng," and which is of a dark ie agi colour, is used as an 
article of food by the Laos and Siamese. The habit of chewing “ mieng” 
is almost universal among the Laos, and the men engag — 
such as poling or rowing a quid of “ mie 
The price of the prepared article at the village which I visited was 
one rupee (ls. 3d.) for 12 packages, a package containing 10 bundles or 
u 
rub and some young plants. At the time of my visit to the tea garden 
flowers were scarce, as the shrub flowers later in the. year 
(Signed) C. E. W. STRINGER. 
The specimens pon meat to the Foreign Office were duly received at 
Kew, and they are deposited in aa N of Economic Botany. 
The specimens of flowers and leave: e found to be identical with the 
indigenous tea of Assam ( Camellia theifera, Griff). The young plants, 
however, did not reach Kew alive. This, under the circumstances, was 
not a matter of much ig as both the Assam and China tea plants 
of commerce are well represented i in the Kew collections. 

CCLXVII.—CHINESE SILKWORM GUT. 
In the Foreign Office Report on the oe Feces cote [F. 
Annual Series 1891, No. 898] the following ac is given of a wild 
silk found in the neighbourhood of ohngobow oes utilised locally for 
fishing eM D 
éi 
Av 
