46 The Ottawa Naturalist. [May 



Behring Sea seal fisheries. The conditions and real facts concern- 

 ing- seal life were studied by him and have been Britain's most 

 powerful argument in the case. In 1883 he was appointed assis- 

 tant director to the Geological Survey Department. In 1892, 

 after his work on this commission was ended, Her Majesty Queen 

 Victoria was pleased to create him a C.M.G., and in 1890 and 1891 

 respectively, Queen's and McGill Universities conferred upon him 

 the degree of doctor of laws honoris causa. 



In 1 89 1 he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Eng- 

 land, the highest scientific body in Britain, for his eminent work 

 in geological science. In 1893 he was elected President of the 

 Royal Society of Canada ; in 1894, corresponding member of the 

 Zoological Society of London ; in 1895, Fellow of the American 

 Association for the Advancement of Science ; in 1896, chosen 

 President of Section "C" in Geology of the British Association 

 for the Advancement of Science, and in 1897 delivered a masterly 

 inaugural address upon the Archaean geology of Canada. In the 

 same year, the Royal Geographical Society of London presented 

 him with their highest award, a gold medal ; and in 1891 had 

 been awarded the Bigsby medal for eminent researches in 

 geology by the Geological Society of London. The recipient of 

 this medal must not be older than 45 years at his last birthday. 



As an ethnologist and archjeologist, Dr. Dawson stood fore- 

 most in Canada and was an eminent authority. Many of his spare 

 hours were devoted to this most important subject. His report 

 upon the manners and customs of the Haidas in the Queen Char- 

 lotte Islands and the numerous and interesting specimens he 

 brought with him have laid the foundations of the ethnological 

 department of the National Museum at Ottawa. The Geological 

 Survey of Canada was fortunate in having so able a scientist and 

 geologist as Dr. Dawson for its director. He has done much in 

 disseminating exact knowledge regarding the vast regions of the 

 west chiefly, whilst his attention and care has led him to take a 

 most prominent part in the economic prosperity and development 

 of the eastern or older provinces. His courteous and practical 

 replies' to the constant stream of correspondence which, in his 

 position as chief of the Geological Survey department, he received, 

 have done much to place Canada's mining interests on a solid 



