n of
Borneo. On that island there are coal-seams under approximately
similar circumstances to those on Labuan. So far as I know, however,
they have not hitherto been closely examined with respect to
vegetable palaeontology.

At Labuan fossil plants are found, though very sparingly, imbedded
in balls of clay ironstone from strata above the two lowermost
coal-seams. The upper coal-seams are besides exceedingly rich in
resin, which crosses the coal in large veins. From the thickness and
conversion into a hard sandstone of the layers of sand lying between
and above the coal-seams we may conclude that a very long time,
probably hundreds of thousands or millions of years have passed
since these coal-seams were formed. They also belong to a quite
recent period, during which the vegetation in these regions varied
perhaps only to a slight extent from that of the present time. It
is, however, too early to express one's self on this subject, before
the fossils which we brought home have been examined by Dr.
Nathorst.

Coal mining was stopped for the time, but orders were expected by
every post to resume work. The road between the mine and the harbour
town was at all events pretty well kept, and Mr. COOKE, one of the
directors of the company, still lived at the place. He showed me all
possible hospitality during the time I remained on the north side of
the island for the purpose of collecting fossils. The rest of the
time I was the guest of the acting Governor, Mr. TREACHER, a young
and amiable man, who showed me several collections in natural
history from Labuan and the neighbouring parts of Borneo, and after
our return to Europe sent me a collection of leaves and fruit of the
kinds of trees which now grow on the island. I expect that this
collection will be very instructive in the study of the fossil
plants we brought home with us.

At the steep shore banks on the north coast very fine sections of
the sandstone strata, which lie under and above the coal, are
visible. While I went along the shore in order to examine these, I
visited some Malay huts built on poles. They were surrounded at
flood tide by water, at ebb by the dry beach, bare of all
vegetation. In order to get inside these huts one must climb a
ladder two to two and a half metres high, standing towards the sea.
The houses have the same appearance as a warehouse by the seaside at
home, and are built very slightly. The floor consisted of a few
rattling bamboo splin