186 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



from the rocks, is so great, but unfortunately the labourers are as yet 

 so few/' 



First and foremost Selwj^n was a stratigraphical geologist and an 

 able one. He was a firm believer in the field characters exhibited by 

 the various series of sedimentary strata in the succession of geological 

 formations in the earth's crust, and also by the volcanic materials which, 

 in many instances, make up some of them, or penetrate the same. 



He had a special attraction for those regions where the geological 

 structure was complex, and more especially was this the case as regards 

 the Eastern Townships of Quebec, for, not only during his twenty-five 

 years of office did he take an active part in the examination and elucida- 

 tion of, one of the most difficult and perplexing prableons in geology and 

 in the discussion attending the same, but even after his retirement, he 

 was wont to come back to the Survey, and to the former members of 

 his staff would present his views in that bold and vigorous manner so 

 characteristic of him. The volcanics of the Eastern Townships and 

 their associated formations afforded an attractive topic for discussion 

 of the highest order. The result oif his own field work led him to 

 interpret the geological structure of that part of Canada in a manner 

 hitherto unknown on this continent. In the Lake Superior region, 

 likewise. Dr. Selwyn delighted to go and carried on geological investi- 

 gations! whenever the duties of the office would permit him to leave 

 the desk for the field. 



His keen interest in the "Quebec Group" controversy, in which 

 Logan, Billings, Hunt, Emmons, Sir Wm. Dawson, Hall, Walcott, 

 Ford, Ells, Marcou and many others took a prominent part, was ever 

 kept alive by the fires which arose in the discussion of the numerous 

 knotty points in connection therewith. ~ Selwyn's interpretation of the 

 geological structure of sio-called "unfossiliferous Quebec Group" seemed a 

 revelation to practical geologists and gave the key to the solution of at 

 least one important side of the controversy. He thus materially con- 

 tributed to the advancement of our knowledge of that intricate field by 

 v^eparating the volcanic belts and reeogn'zins: the anticlinal structure 

 which it exhi1:)ited in contradistinction to the synclinal theory which 

 was held for many years. 



Like his predecessor in office Dr. Selwyn was always a strong 

 supporter of the Geological Survey Museum, not only as an important 

 factor in the interests of the country, but also as an educator. The 

 wisdom of moving from Montreal to Ottawa during his term of office 

 • was very soon demonstrated in the numbers who registered and came 

 to it from day to day. The inadequacy of the building and its total 

 unfitness, not only for geological work pertaining to the department, 



