New Director of the Geological Survey. 307 



The New Director of the Geological Survey. 



The recent appointment of Dr. G. M. Dawson as director 

 of the Geological Survey of Canada, as successor to Dr. 

 A. K. C. Selwyn, will give universal satisfaction, and the 

 Government of Canada are to be congratulated on having 

 secured one of the ablest geologists as well as administra- 

 tors to conduct this most important branch of the public 

 service. His long connection with the department, both 

 as assistant director, and, in the absence of Dr. Selwyn, as 

 acting director, will enable him to understand perfectly 

 the requirements of the office. The scientific staff of the 

 department regard the appointment as a well-deserved 

 and fitting promotion, and feel sure that under his able 

 and energetic management the Survey's sphere of useful- 

 ness will be enlarged, and, at the same time, its already 

 eminent scientific standing fully maintained. The mining 

 community in general may rest assured that the practical 

 part of the Survey's work will not be neglected, as Dr. 

 Dawson has ever evinced a deep interest in economic 

 geoloo-v. 



Dr. George Mercer Dawson, C.M.G., F.E.S., A.E.S.M., 

 F.G.S. (L. & A.), etc., etc., was born at Pictou, X.S., August 

 1st, 1849, and is the eldest son of Sir J. William Dawson. 

 late principal and vice-chancellor of McGill University. 

 He was educated at McGill College and the Royal School 

 of Mines, London, where he was admitted as an Associate 

 in 1872. He obtained the Duke of Cornwall's Scholar- 

 ship, given by the Prince of Wales ; also the Edward 

 Forbes Medal in Palaeontology and the Murchison Medal 

 in Geology. His marked scientific zeal and ability early 

 attracted the attention of European geologists, and in 

 1873 he was appointed as geologist and naturalist to Her 

 Majesty's North American Boundary Commission. As 

 such he investigated the geology and natural resources of 

 the country between the Lake of the Woods and the 

 Rocky Mountains in the vicinity of the 49th parallel. 



