Editorial 



In the death of Dr. George M. Dawson, director of the geo- 

 logical survey of Canada, American geology has lost one of its 

 ablest representatives. Not only as an individual worker, but as 

 an administrator, he displayed unusual capacity and gave prom- 

 ise of still larger achievements in the future. That so promising 

 a career should be cut short so suddenly at the climax of its 

 productiveness is sad indeed, and the loss is keenly felt by the 

 scientific world. When the vastness of the area whose investi- 

 gation was being conducted under his direction, and its important 

 relations to many of the great outstanding problems of geology, 

 are recalled, the misfortune of the interruption of his successful 

 administration and of his personal labors is most fully realized. 



Dr. Dawson enjoyed unusual privileges of education and 

 early association, which, combined with his native capacity for 

 absorption and assimilation, gave him an unusual breadth of 

 learning and catholicity of interest, and these qualities were 

 called into active and manifold expression in the exposition of 

 the broad and complex phenomena of the great Canadian field. 

 He was gifted with notable literary abilities, and these, com- 

 bined with a charming personality, gave grace and geniality to 

 all his presentations. We hope to present a critical sketch of 

 his work in a future number. T. C. C. 



It is a hopeful sign for the future terminology of our science 

 that manifestations of dissatisfaction with its current nomen- 

 clature are just now taking on active and declared forms. During 

 the last few weeks conferences have been held in different 

 quarters at which the improvement of existing usage has been 

 the special subject of discussion. It is not proposed to dwell 

 upon these here, though it is hoped that the Journal may have 



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