112 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



[Vol. XXXIV. 



practical science officer of the Geological Sur- 

 vey of the Dominion ; notably, are the fol- 

 lowing explorations of territory: 



"Prof. Macoun's first trip across the prairies 

 was with Sir Sanford Fleming, in 1872. His 

 glowing report of the country traversed caused 

 him to be sent again in 1875, to explore the 

 route that it was then intended that the Can- 

 adian Pacific would follow. When the pre- 

 sent route was decided upon the Government 

 sent him in 1879, 1880 and 1881 to report up- 

 on the country that would be opened up by 

 the railway. Optimistic as his reports and 

 prophecies were, they have all proved true. 

 To these are to be added, Prof. Macoun's ex- 

 plorations in the Canadian Yukon Territory, 

 in 1903, which revealed for the first time, that 

 that far northern division of Canada also pos- 

 sesses agricultural resources of no mean order." 

 "Motion cordially adopted by Committee, 

 and presented to Prof. Macoun, pro forma, by 

 the Chair." 

 The Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club was or- 

 ganized on March 19, 1879, and John Macoun, who 

 at that time lived in Belleville, became that same 

 year one of the corresponding members, and on 

 March II, 1881, came to Ottawa and delivered an 

 address before the Club on "Capabilities of the 

 Prairie Lands of the Great North- West as Shown 

 by Their Fauna and Flora." He asserted that 

 the botanical test was the only true criterion by 

 which the agricultural status of any district should 

 be judged. In the North- West every species of 

 plant was found to have its particular habit as re- 

 gards soil and moisture. He had found that even 

 as far north as the Peace River a large number of 

 plants occurred which were of the same general 

 biological type as many Ontario plants, hence he 

 concluded that about the same summer climatic 

 conditions prevailed. He found that certain grasses 

 ripened in the same number of days as wheat in 

 Ontario and the same grasses ripened in about the 

 same time in the North-West, hence the growing 

 seasons were sufficiently alike to ensure the culti- 

 vation of wheat over a vast area. 



Prof. Macoun moved to Ottawa from Belleville 

 with his wife and family in the autumn of 1882, 

 and lived continuously there until 1912, when he 

 moved to British Columbia. He was President of 

 the Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club in 1886-7. He 

 was promoted to the position of Assistant Director 

 and Naturalist of the Geological Survey in 1887, 

 which he held until his death. While his home was 

 in Ottawa, he was exploring and collecting in some 

 part of Canada nearly every summer. 



It was during these thirty years that he, with 

 the assistance of his son, James M. Macoun, built 



up the greater part of the herbarium of over 100,000 

 specimens of Canadian plants, now in the Victoria 

 Memorial Museum, Ottawa, although in the her- 

 barium are many specimens which he collected six- 

 ty years ago. He made large collections also in 

 Western Canada between 1872 and 1882. The 

 first part of his "Catalogue of Canadian Plants" 

 was published in 1883, and he continued to pub- 

 lish parts of this list until 1902, when the last 

 number was issued. The parts appeared as fol- 

 lows: Polypetalae, 1883; Gamopetalae, 1884; 

 Apetalae, 1886; Endogens, 1888; Acrogens, 1890, 

 Musci, 1892; Lichenes and Hepaticae, 1902. The 

 publication of this catalogue was a great undertak- 

 ing, brought to a successful completion after years 

 of close and personal work. There was a great 

 demand for it, and it is now out of print. 



Prof. Macoun began collecting bird skins for 

 the Museum of the Geological Survey at Ottawa 

 in 1879, and through his efforts a large number of 

 skins were obtained from that time on, and before 

 he left Ottawa he had the satisfaction of seeing a 

 very fine collection of Canadian birds there mainly 

 as the result of this work. 



He published a Catalogue of Canadian Birds in 

 three parts, the first in 1900, containing the Water 

 Birds, Gallinaceous Birds and Pigeons; the second 

 in 1903, of the Birds of Prey, Woodpeckers, Fly- 

 Catchers, Crows, Jays, and Blackbirds ; the third 

 in 1904, of the Sparrows, Swallows, Vireos, Warb- 

 lers, Wrens, Titmice and Thrushes. These proved 

 very popular and useful, and it became necessary 

 to re-publish them in one volume, which was done 

 in 1909 with the assistance of his son, James M. 

 Macoun. This Catalogue gives the name, range, 

 and breeding habits of Canadian Birds. 



He published many years ago a small text book 

 on "Elementary Botany," and from time to time 

 during his long life issued many valuable reports 

 and lists. 



He had in an advanced stage of preparation, 

 before his death, an "Annotated List of the Flora 

 of the Ottawa Region, an "Annotated List of the 

 Flora of Nova Scotia," and an "Annotated List of 

 the Flora of Vancouver Island." 



He was interested in and loved all branches of 

 natural history, and may be said to have been an 

 all round naturalist, though it was as a botanist he 

 was most known. He was one of the first Canadian 

 Fellows of the Linnaean Society of London, Eng., 

 and was a charter member of the Royal Society of 

 Canada. 



The town of Macoun, Sask., was named after 

 him. 



Prof. Macoun was a man of very strong vitality 

 and was seldom ill. He had decided that he would 

 spend his last years on Vancouver Island, where in 



