x ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
The Society has also to regret the loss by death in June last of 
Mr. William Kirby, at one time an active member of Section IT. but 
who, some years ago, at his own request, was placed on the list of 
retired members. Mr. Kirby was a pioneer poet of the U. E. Loyalists, 
and the author of “ Le Chien d’or,” a work of fiction of great literary 
merit, dealing with the last days of the French occupation of Canada. 
The list of our corresponding members has also recently been 
reduced by the death of the eminent French chemist, Marcelin Berthelot, 
Perpetual Secretary of the Academy of Sciences, and Professor at the 
College of France. He was the author of many learned works on the 
early history of chemistry, which his great knowledge of the ancient 
languages enabled him to investigate very thoroughly from original 
sources. He was one of the founders of La Grande Encyclopédie, and 
published a vast number of scientific memoirs from 1850 until his death. 
Synthesis he made a special study, and he effected by chemical means 
the grouping of elements to form compounds previously thought to be 
solely the result of vital forces. He did valuable work in the elucidation 
of many problems connected with the theory of agriculture and bio- 
logical chemistry. A great theorist, he checked all his results by experi- 
ments and thus achieved much for the welfare of the country he served 
so loyally. The motto of his life was: “Let us work. Let us try 
to be useful. This is the true aim of both public and private life.” 
12.—Nrw FELLOWS. 
Letters of acceptance and thanks have been received from the fol- 
lowing: Lt.-Col. Cruikshank, Lt.-Col. Wood, Rev. Dr. Raymond and 
Mr. J. H. Coyne, who were elected at the last meeting. 
13.—GOVERNMENT WORK, LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC. 
In accordance with a time honoured custom an invitation was 
extended to the chief officers in charge of important Scientific and Lit- 
erary Departments of the Government Service to supply the Council, for 
printing with their report, an abstract of the leading features of the 
work carried on under their charge during the past year. 
Valuable abstracts of this nature have been received from Dr. 
Doughty, the Dominion Archivist (Appendiz B); Prof. E. E. Prince, 
the Commissioner of Fisheries for the Dominion (Appendix C); Mr. 
Stupart, Superintendent of the Meteorological Service of Canada (Ap- 
pendiz D) ; and Dr. W. F. King, Chief Astronomer and Superintendent 
of the Astronomical Observatory (Appendix E). 
