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JAMES WILLIAM DAVIS. 
Cretaceo-Tertiary Formations of New Zealand" (1883). Even the 
dark days which slowly heralded the end of his labours were largely 
devoted to his beloved studies, and to the commencement of what 
promised to become the most brilliant of all his publications, a 
Monograph of " The Carboniferous Fishes," doubtless a vast under- 
taking, but we venture to think one which his enthusiasm, his energy, 
and large experience would have successfully grappled with had he 
been spared a few years longer. For it must be remembered that his 
own collections of the necessary material were very extensive, and 
that his knowledge of the specimens contained in the public and 
private collections of our own country was supplemented by a wide 
knowledge of the types to be found in almost every European 
Museum, and in many foreign private cabinets. 
The objects for Mr. Davis' geological study were many of them 
collected by himself "personally, in the field, for he was no mere 
closet and library geologist, but delighted to ramble, hammer in 
hand, wherever sections of the strata could be found, either in cliff, 
mine, quarry, railway cutting, hill or mountain side ; and this 
brought him into contact with the shrewd and intelligent working men 
of his own county, and especially with the miners of the West 
Riding. He was always popular with the miners, who delighted to 
help him in his work, and to whom his genial, frank, manly nature 
strongly appealed, and to-day the mention of his name will evoke a 
spark of pleasurable recollection in the eyes of many a humble friend 
of his among the toilers in mine and quarry. 
Our late Secretary was emphatically a Yorkshire geologist, of 
which profession two permanent records exist ; first, his " West 
Yorkshire ;" and second, his numerous annual contributions to our 
own Journal. Only those who were intimate with Mr. Davis have the 
faintest conception of the time, careful thought, and personal expendi- 
ture which he devoted to the interests of the Yorkshire Geological and 
Polytechnic Society. He was Secretary, Editor, Contributor, Whip, 
in short the very soul of it. Untiringly, continuously, he wrote 
papers, stimulated the younger members, persuaded whomsoever he 
came across who showed the least interest in geology to join the 
Society, corresponded freely with the honorary and permanent 
