i: v ] 



PREFACE. 



When the last Part of this Keport was issued, early in the present year, I still 

 hoped that it would be possible to compress the remaining Supplementary Keports, 

 along with the conclusion of the Pearl Oyster Keport proper, within the limits of 

 Part IV., and an intimation to that effect was made in the Preface. During the 

 summer, however, when the Authors of the Supplementary Reports began to send in 

 their manuscripts, it became plain that I had been too sanguine, and that a fifth and 

 concluding Part would be necessary to finish the series. Under these circumstances 

 I have decided to issue all the Supplementary Reports that are ready in the present 

 Part making it up to a volume of about the usual size of 300 pages and 30 plates 

 and to publish the few remaining Reports along with the several concluding sections 

 of the Pearl-oyster work in Part V., early in 1906. 



The Reports (all well advanced) which I still expect are : On the Brachyura, by 

 Mr. Douglas Laurie; on the Schizopoda and Stomatopoda, by Mr. Walter 

 Tattersall ; on the Anomura, and on the Actiniaria ; on the Marine Insects, by 

 Professor G. Carpenter ; on the Tunicata, by myself ; a list of the Molluscan Shells, 

 by Mr. R. Standen and Mr. A. Leicester ; and a list of the Foraminifera, by 

 Mr. W. J. Dakin. There will be a further, and final, instalment on the Parasites of 

 the Pearl Oyster, by Mr. Shipley and Mr. Hornell, and I propose to add a general 

 discussion of the faunistic results. These sections, with the remainder of the Pearl- 

 oyster work, and the Summary of Results and Recommendations as to the Conservation 

 of the Banks, should then complete the Report. 



The valuable memoirs in the present volume will speak for themselves, but I desire 

 to express here my very cordial thanks to my friends the various contributors for 

 their kindness in undertaking the work, and for their skill in carrying it out. The 

 only case that calls for any further remark is the last in the volume. In order to 

 prevent delay, I arranged with Dr. Willey that the proofs of the Report on the 

 Polychseta should not be sent out to Ceylon. As the "copy" was supplied to me 

 in the form of a corrected print marked " for press," and as Mr. Arnold Watson 

 and Mr. Cyril Crossland both familiar with the group have kindly helped me to 

 read the proofs, I hope that the chance of errors having escaped notice has been 

 minimised. I have added at the last moment an interesting note by Mr. Arnold 

 Watson on the Polychaste worm which is commensal with the sponge Aulospongus 



