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PROCEEDINGS OF NATURAL-HISTORY SOCIETIES. 
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
At a recent meeting Mr. Ogilby exhibited two specimens of Lagomys , a sin¬ 
gular animal, of which two individuals were brought over by Prof. Royle from 
the Himalaya Mountains, where it is never met with at a less elevation than 
11,000 feet. It is very rare, and perfectly unique, partaking equally of the 
character of the Rabbit and the Hare. It has a very extensive geographical 
distribution, being described by Prof. Pallas in Southern Siberia, where the 
natives are often indebted to the providence of this little animal for winter stores 
of provisions for their cattle. They store away their food under little conical 
hills, which the natives open for the provisions they contain; the animals 
residing in a hole underneath the snow at some distance, to which they burrow 
an approach. 
MEDICO-BOTANICAL SOCIETY. 
Nov. 21.—This was the first meeting of the season. Dr. Sigmond commenced 
by delivering a lecture on the cultivation of the Tea-plant. The learned pro¬ 
fessor, after adverting to the mystery in which the system of the Chinese 
in preparing tea had been for some time enveloped, proceeded to explain its 
culture. It appeared that when the time for picking the finest sorts of tea 
arrived, the labourers employed were compelled to avoid gross food, and adopt the 
purest diet; and, moreover, that they performed the operation in gloves. The 
authorities quoted, showed that this extreme delicacy was for the purpose of 
preventing the slightest injury to the leaf from the breath or skin. It would be 
as well if this example of cleanliness was followed by the tea-dealers of England. 
The Chinese, who could afford it, drank their tea strong; and they had a proverb 
by which the poverty of the individual was implied, who 44 drinks weak tea and 
eats insipid rice.” Samples were exhibited of every variety of tea imported into 
this country and the Continent. Amongst other varieties there were some fine 
specimens of the Pekoe used in Russia, the 46 caravan teas,” which are brought 
overland from Kiachta, and the 44 Howqua’s Mixture” tea. That the Hong 
Merchants used not generally to deliver for exportation their finest sorts there 
was no doubt, for it was proved by the fact, that since the opening of the trade 
many new varieties had been brought to England, and, amongst others, he would 
mention the 44 Howqua’s Mixture,” which had now become a standard tea in this 
country. The flower of the China Tea-plant had a fine and fragrant aroma, and 
differed in the form of its blossoms from the lately-discovered Assam Tea-shrub. 
