160 DARK UNFATHOMED CAVES OF OCEAN 



of this eagle-ray, heavy with young, and copiously 

 secreting a rich yellow fluid that smelt, not like fish, 

 but like beef. 



This was my last opportunity of field-work before 

 the advent of the south-west monsoon and the recess. 

 This third recess I passed as usual at Calcutta, 

 where, on account of the local requirements of the 

 Service, I was ordered to act as Pathologist and 

 Resident Physician at the Medical College, so that 

 only my leisure time was available for natural history 

 studies. However, Professor Wood- Mason and I were 

 able to do some justice to the Investigator collections, 

 and the results of our labours were published in a 

 series of papers in the Annals and Magazine of 

 Natural Histoiy for 1891, and in the fiftieth volume 

 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society. During this 

 recess I was able, thanks to the kindness of Rear- 

 Admiral Sir John Hext, R.N., to make arrangements 

 for the publication of a set of twelve plates of figures 

 of some of our newly-discovered species of fishes and 

 Crustacea : this was the beginning of the annual 

 Illustrations of the Zoology of the ''Investigator,'' of 

 which nine parts have already been issued, and many 

 more will, I hope, be forthcoming in the future. 



This recess was a very sad one for the Survey, 

 owing to the sudden death of one of its most popular 

 officers. Lieutenant G. L. Mathias. In him were 

 united, in a remarkable degree, the frank and sunny 



