144 Canadian Record of Science. 



sharp attacks culminating in partial paralysis, which for- 

 bade further effort. During the past few years from time 

 to time his strength rallied somewhat, and he attempted 

 to resume his work. Only a few days before his death he 

 penned a short essay on the Gold of Ophir. He passed 

 away on the 19 th of last month, very peacefully and 

 without pain. We may say, in the words of Dr. Peterson, 

 his successor in the Principalship of the University : "For 

 such a painless passing out of life no note of sorrow need 

 be struck. There is no sting in a death like his ; the 

 grave is not his conqueror. Eather has death been 

 swallowed up in victory — the victory of a full and com- 

 plete life, marked by earnest endeavor, untiring industry, 

 continuous devotion and self-sacrifice, together with an 

 abiding and ever-present sense of dependence on the will 

 of Heaven. His work was done, to quote the great 

 Puritan's noble line, ' As ever in his great Taskmaster's 

 eye.' " 



Lady Dawson, with three sons and two daughters, 

 survive him, of wliom the eldest, Dr. George M. Dawson, 

 the present Director of the Geological Survey of Canada, 

 has inherited his father's love for geologicpd studies, and 

 has achieved wide distinction in the world of science. 



Sir William's first original contribution to science was 

 a paper read before the Wernerian Society of Edinburgh 

 in 1841, on a species of field mouse found in ]^ova Scotia. 

 From that time onward he was a continuous contributor 

 to scientific journals and to the publications of various 

 learned societies. His papers were very numerous, and 

 covered a wide range of subjects in tlie domain of Natural 

 History. No less than 128 titles are recorded under his 

 name in the Ptoyal Society's Catalogue. The most 

 important work of his earlier years was an extended study 

 of the geology of the Maritime Provinces of the Dominion 

 of Canada. His results are embodied in his Acadian 

 Geology, already mentioned, a volume of nearly 1,000 



