14 
Bulletin of Natural History Society. 
added to the staff, and a few other additions and changes 
were made. 
The active work of the Commission began in June 1815, 
and the coast region North of Eio to Cape San Eoque was 
explored. Here extensive cretaceous deposits were found, 
with remains of sharks, crocodiles and other reptiles ; and 
large collections of recent marine animals were made along 
the coast. 
In the next year, the work in the maritime provinces 
North of Eio was continued and abundant remains of rep- 
tiles, fishes, and other animals were found. The diamond- 
bearing gravels near Bahia were also examined for the pur- 
pose of discovering the source of these gems. In the pro- 
vince of Sergipe was gathered a rich harvest of cretaceous 
fossils for the museum at Eio. 
In this and the following year (1811) explorations were 
carried on in the provinces South of Eio, where Carboni- 
ferous and Devonian or Silurian deposits were discovered, 
rich in fossils, and the gold regions of this part of the em- 
pire and of Minas Ceraes were examined by Mr. J. E. Mills. 
While this work was in progress in the South, Mr. Derby 
was arriving at important results on the Amazonas, where 
he proved the existence of an immense basin of Paheozoic 
rocks with carboniferous deposits occupying an extensive 
area in the centre, surrounded by Devonian and Silurian 
beds rich in fossils. Owing to the dense vegetation of the 
lowlands of the valley of the Amazonas, they were unable 
to discover whether these Carboniferous rocks held deposits 
of coal or not. Immense collections of geological, zoo- 
logical and ethnological specimens were sent to the capital 
by the various exploring parties, and it was found necessary 
to set apart a large house to contain them. 
In June 1817, prompted by motives of economy, and un- 
acquainted with the amount and value of the work being 
done by the Commission, the Grovernment gave orders for 
the temporary suspension of the Commission on the 1st of 
July. The Emperor, soon after returning to Eio, fresh 
from the Museums of the Old World and North America, 
