Obituary Notice of the late Mr John Gunn. 251 
XIX. Obituary Notice of the late Mr John Gunn, Secretary 
to the Society. By R. H. Traquair, M.D., LL.D., F.B.S. 
(Read 15th January 1896.) 
John Gunn, eldest son of the late Mr Alexander Gunn, an 
extensive farmer in Caithness, was born at Dale, about five 
miles south of Halkirk, in that county, on the 7th September 
1853. His education, begun at the country school of Wester- 
dale, near his father’s house, was afterwards entrusted to a 
private tutor, and finished at the Royal Academy at Tain, 
where he conspicuously distinguished himself as a pupil. 
In 1874 he entered an accountant’s office in Glasgow, but 
his health, which from childhood had been somewhat delicate, 
suffered from the close confinement which is inseparable from 
such an occupation, so that before two years had passed he 
was obliged to throw it up, and to proceed to the Continent 
for several months to recover his strength. 
On returning to his native land, he spent some years at 
home in Caithness, busying himself mainly in local archeo- 
logical investigations, until, in April 1886, he proceeded to 
Edinburgh to occupy a post in the “ Challenger ” office, under 
Dr John Murray, F.R.S. At the close of the Challenger 
Commission, Mr Gunn occupied himself with literary work, 
at first for Messrs Bartholomew of the Geographical Institute, 
afterwards for Cassels & Co., of London. During his life in 
Edinburgh, he also occupied much of his time with the duties 
of Librarian to the Royal Geographical Society, and, as we 
shall presently see, with those appertaining to the secretary- 
ship of our own Society. 
Mr Gunn joined the Royal Physical Society in February 
1887, and in December of the same year he, to the gratifica- 
tion of the Council and of the Society generally, allowed 
himself to be nominated as Assistant Secretary in succession 
to the late Mr John Gibson. In December 1892, when the 
ill-health of our then Secretary, Mr William Evans, necessi- 
tated his taking a prolonged rest from work of the sort, Mr 
Gunn was appointed Acting Secretary for a year, at the close 
of which, on Mr Evan’s definite resignation, the Society was 
