BRIEFER ARTICLES 
JOHN MACOUN , 
(WITH PORTRAIT) 
Professor JoHN Macown, the well known Canadian naturalist, died 
July 18, 1920, at Sidney, British Columbia, after a long career in natural 
science, having given much to the world and brought great credit to the 
Dominion and to himself. 
Being equally well versed in zoology and botany, his death is a severe 
loss to natural science. Even at the age of 89 years, Professor MAacouN 
was still active, and never lost 
his energy and interest for his 
science. He was born near 
Belfast, Ireland, in 1831, and 
came to Canada in 1850, when 
20 years of age, with his mother 
and two brothers, and the 
family settled near Campbell- 
ford, Northumberland County. 
For a number of years Pro- 
fessor Macoun taught school, 
and became professor of natural 
science at Albert College in 
Belleville. The greater part of 
his work was the exploration 
of the then unknown west; in 
1872 he was invited by Sir SAN- 
FORD FLEMING, the supervising 
engineer, to accompany him as 
botanist in a tour across Canada, in connection with the surveys for the 
proposed Pacific railway. This tour forms the theme of Principal 
GrorceE M. Grant’s well known Ocean to ocean, Dr. GRANT being one 
of the party. In 1875 Professor Macoun accompanied Dr. SELWYN 
on the expedition to the Peace River District, where he made extensive 
collections of plants and animals for the Museum at Ottawa. Four 
years later, in 1879, he was sent by Sir Cartes Tupper to the north- 
Botanical Gazette, vol. 71] [236 
