576 Obitiiary — Sir William Daivson, F.R.S., F.G.S. 



aiding birn materially in bis inA^estigations. Since 1843 \\& 

 contributed largely to tbe Quarterly Journal of tbe Geological 

 Society of London, tbe Geological Magazine, and to otber scientific 

 periodicals. He has published numerous monographs on subjects- 

 connected with Geology, more especially on the Land Animals and 

 Plants of the Pala?ozoic Period and on tbe Pliocene Deposits of 

 Canada. His two volumes on tbe Devonian and Carboniferous 

 Flora of " Eastern North America," published by tbe Geological 

 Survey of Canada, are among the most important contributions yet 

 made to the Pala30zoic Botany of North America. He described 

 SJozoon Cnnadense of the Laurentian limestones, at that time 

 considered to be tbe earliest known form of animal life. 



In 1850 be was appointed Superintendent of Education for Nova 

 Scotia, and in 1855 Principal of M'Gill University, Montreal. He 

 was a member of many learned Societies in Europe and America. 

 Among bis works are "The Story of tbe Earth and Man," 1872, in 

 which he gives a popular summary of geological history ; " The 

 Dawn of Ijife," 1875, an account of the oldest known fossil remains, 

 and of their relations to geological time and the development of the 

 animal kingdom ; "The Origin of the World," 1877 ; " Fossil Men 

 and their Modern Eepresentatives," 1878 ; and "The Chain of Life 

 in Geological Time," 1880, a sketch of the origin and succession of 

 animals and plants. 



In 1882 he was awarded the Lyell Medal by the Geological 

 Society of London in recognition of bis original researches in the 

 South Joggins Coalfield, Nova Scotia, and his other valuable 

 contributions to geological knowledge. The same year he was 

 created a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George ; 

 and was selected by tbe Governor-General, the Marquis of Lome, to 

 be the first President of tbe Eoyal Society of Canada. He was also 

 President of the American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science. In the following year be attended the meeting of the 

 British Association at Southport, and travelled in Egypt and Syria, 

 on tbe geography and geology of which he published several papers. 

 He was knighted by Her Majesty in 1884. In 1886 he served the 

 office of President of the British Association for the Advancement 

 of Science at Birmingham. In 1893 he was elected President of 

 the American Geological Societ}^ He retired from the office of 

 Principal of M'Gill University July 31st, 1893, and was appointed 

 Emeritus Principal, and Professor and Hon. Curator of the Peter 

 Eedpath Museum. Some of Sir W. Dawson's more recent works- 

 are "Tbe Geological History of Plants," 1888; "Salient Points itl 

 the Science of the Earth," 1893; "The Canadian Ice Age," 1894; 

 " The Meeting-place of Geology and History," 1894 ; " The 

 Histoi'ical Deluge in its Relation to Scientific Discovery and to 

 Present Questions," 1895 ; "' Eelics of Primeval Life," 1897. 



Throughout his long and active career. Sir J. W. Dawson bas- 

 contributed in a high degree to tbe advancement of geology and of 

 science generally in Canada, and under bis leadership the M'Gill 

 University has risen to be tbe principal centre of scientific education 

 and research in the Dominion. 



