February. 1920] 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



39 



complete collection of the flora from the Pacific 

 Coast to the Eagle Pass in the Gold Range, a dis- 

 tance of nearly 400 miles on the Canadian Pacific 

 Railway. In 1890, he agam worked in British 

 Columbia, assisting his father collecting on the 

 Columbia river along the Kootenay lake, and in 

 the Selkirk and Rocky mountains. 



Up to this time, Mr. Macoun had devoted his 

 time and energy to natural history study in general. 

 His intimate knowledge of methods and his ability 

 to draw reliable conclusions from his findings were 

 then fully recognized by the Geological Survey and, 

 as a result, his wide knowledge and his skill as an 



ence at Washington, D.C. Because of his most 

 valuable work on the international fur seal investi- 

 gations he was made a C.M.G., at the recommen- 

 dation of Lord Bryce, then British Ambassador to 

 Washington. 



Mr. Macoun's intimate knowledge of Canada's 

 forestry resources was taken particular advantage 

 of by the Government in 1899. That year Mr. 

 Macoun was placed in charge of the Canadian 

 Forestry Exhibit, which was to be displayed at the 

 Paris Exposition in 1900. Mr. Macoun brought 

 together a magnificient collection of Canadian for- 

 estry products which, when exhibited in Paris, most 



JAMES :m. macoun, C.M.G. 



investigator soon prompted the Government to en- 

 gage him in special and important work. 



When, in 1891, the fur seal conditions in the 

 Northern Pacific became of international import- 

 ance, Mr. Macoun was made Secretary to the late 

 Dr. G. M. Dawson, Director of the Geological 

 Survey and Behring Sea Commissioner of Canada, 

 and in this capacity he went to the North Pacific to 

 investigate the fur seal conditions. His services 

 in the study of the habits and life history of the 

 fur seal proved so valuable that he was retained on 

 this special work in 1892 and 1893, and sent to 

 Europe as an expert in connection with the Fur 

 Seal Arbitration. In 1896 he again went to Behr- 

 ing Sea, and also in 1914. In 19! I, he was one of 

 Canada's representatives at the Fur Seal Confer- 



strikingly demonstrated to all Europe the immense 

 timber resources of the Dominion. 



When in Paris, in 1900, Mr. Macoun also at- 

 tended the International Congress of Botanists, 

 which was called together for the purpose of draft- 

 ing rules and regulations to govern the use of botan- 

 ical nomenclature. On behalf of Canada, Mr. 

 Macoun signed the recommendations which later 

 were adopted at the International Congress at 

 Vienna, thus committing Canadian botanists in offi- 

 cial positions to adhere to the so-called "Vienna 

 rules of nomenclature" in botany. 



In 1903, Mr. Macoun undertook an investigation 

 of the Peace river country in general, and of the 

 upper portion in particular, to ascertain the true 

 character of the soil and climate of that part of 



