BRITISH NORTH BORNEO. 331 



afford capital sport, whilst on the East coast are found 

 in addition the elephant and rhinoceros (R. sumatranus). 

 Journeying up the rivers, many varieties of the monkey tribe 

 are met with, including a small species of orang-utan. Small 

 black bears (Helarctos euryspilus) are occasionally met with. * 

 The tapir and other have been seen on the North coast. A 

 large variety of squirrels abound. Amongst the snakes are 

 found the cobra, python, and leaf snake {Trimeresurm 

 mbannulatus) , but the writer has not known a single fatal case 

 of snake-bite during a residence of six years in Borneo. 



Crocodiles are numerous, and at times extremely fierce and 

 dangerous. The rivers and coast teem with fish, which form 

 the staple food of a large portion of the inhabitants. 



Pigeons of many kinds, snipe, curlew and plover, the Argus 

 and Bulwer pheasants ( Argusianus Grayii and Lobiophasis 

 Buhceri; f ) and several kinds of partridge afford a. tempting 

 variety to the sportsman, and the field opened up to the 

 naturalist amongst the numerous birds of North Borneo, is a 

 large and but little known one. 



Climate. 



The climate is more healthy than might be expected in a 

 country situated so near the Equator. The maximum monthly 

 mean temperature during the year 1883 was 83.9, whilst the 

 lowest for the same period was 75.1. The nights as a rule are 

 very cool and pleasant, and on the coast the heat during the 

 day is rarely oppressive. The rainfall for 1883, as observed at 

 Kudat, on the North coast, was 120 ; 56 inches, November, 

 December and January being the months during which most 

 rain fell. There is no absolutely dry season, it being rare to 

 aass many days without rain. To Europeans who take reason- 

 pble precautions against exposure to malarial influences, the 

 climate is healthy. 



* Sir Stamford Raffles described the Malayan bear befoe the Linnean 

 Society in 1820. Crawfurd says that the Bomean and Sumatran bears are 

 the same species.— Ed, 



f This is an error. The Bulwer Pheasant (Lobiophasis Bulweri) has not 

 come under the knowledge of the author. The birds referred to are two 

 species of the Fireback Pheasant, the Euploeanus pyrrhonotus and the 

 Ev/plocanm nubilis. 



