^40, 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol, V. No. 121. 



material in addition to the catalogue num- 

 ber, when sufficiently large to permit of 

 this without covering too much of the speci- 

 men. The small specimens are placed in 

 numbered vials or boxes. In the Wood- 

 wardian Museum (Cambridge) type fossils 

 are mounted on blue tablets. This ar- 

 rangement, however, has the disadvantage 

 of giving the exhibition series a checkered 

 appearance, and should the specimens be- 

 come loosened and displaced there is danger 

 of the types being overlooked. 



Chakles Sohucheet. 



THE FAUNA OF CENTRAL -BORNEO. 



In 1893 the Netherlands Commission, es- 

 tablished for the purpose of promoting re- 

 search into the natural resources of the 

 Dutch colonies, united with a similar so- 

 ciety formed in Batavia composed of 

 merchants, financiers and government offi- 

 cers in organizing an expedition of scien- 

 tists to central Borneo, a hitherto scientific- 

 ally unexplored region. 



Herr Biittikofer was the zoologist of the 

 expedition and presented an account of its 

 results to the third International Zoological 

 Congress, held last year at Ley den, and his 

 report has since been printed in the Compte- 

 rendu of the Congress. 



To zoologists it is hardly necessary to say 

 that Herr Biittikofer is the distinguished 

 curator of the Zoologischen Reichs Museum 

 in Leyden, and the author of ' Eeisebilder 

 aus Liberia ' (Leyden, E. T. Brill, 1890), 

 the best zoological and sociological study of 

 that country which has been made, and 

 which in its minute descriptions of animal 

 life is superior to any work upon any part 

 of the African continent with which we are 

 acquainted. 



The work of the expedition was divided 

 into six departments : Geology, Mineralogy, 

 Botany, Zoology, Anthropology and Eth- 

 nography. Of these geology and mineralogy 

 were assigned to Professor Molengraaff, of 



Amsterdam; Botany, to Dr. Hallier, of 

 Buitenzorg (Java) ; anthropology and eth- 

 nography to Dr. Nieuwenhuis, who was alsO' 

 medical officer; and zoology to Dr. Biitti- 

 kofer, as before stated. Each had perfect 

 control of his own department as to the field 

 of research and the time to be spent. 

 In anthropology and ethnography not 

 much could be expected, as they require a 

 much longer residence and acquaintance 

 with the native populations than such ex- 

 peditions usually afford. 



" In my own department," says Herr Biit- 

 tikofer, " I had the valuable assistance of a 

 black man. Max Moret, a soldier in the 

 Dutch army who had before accompanied 

 Professor Selenka in his Borneo journey." 

 " The natives became interested in my 

 department and willingly lent me a helping, 

 hand." 



Herr Biittikofer reached Batavia, Novem- 

 ber 1, 1893, and during his three weeks' 

 stay in Java made an excursion to the Pre- 

 anger regencies, and to the lofty mountains 

 Gedeh and Pangerango, where he obtained 

 among other specimens the very rare 

 Merulajavanica. Leaving Java on November 

 17th, he landed at Pontianak, on the west 

 coast of Borneo, and ascending the mighty 

 river, Kapuas, established a central station 

 at Smitau. The river being in flood, the 

 hunting was confined to birds and other 

 tree-living animals, and many new speci- 

 mens were obtained. 



In December they moved on to Mt. Ken- 

 epai (1200 metres), near the borders of 

 Sarawak, where on higher ground a better 

 field was found. Ascending the mountains, 

 they pitched their tents half way to the sum- 

 mit and found the life most romantic. " In 

 the early dawn we were awakened by the 

 loud jodelling of gibbons and the ear-split- 

 ting shriek of the Rhinoceros birds, after 

 which, as the morning advanced, the other 

 members of the winged orchestra joined in 

 the chorus." 



