448 Canadian Record of Science. 



Piiofessor James Dwight Dana. 



The following notice, extracted from Nature, is of 

 especial interest as showing the estimation in which the 

 late distinguished geologist was held on the other side of 

 the Atlantic : — 



By the sudden death of Prof. J. D. Dana, from heart-failure, on 

 April 15, America has lost a veteran man of science, who in his time 

 has not only played many widely varied parts, but has reached the 

 highest excellence in each. As a mineralogist he published, so long 

 ago as 1837, the first edition of a " Descriptive Mineralogy," which by 

 reason of its completeness and accuracy soon became a standard work 

 of reference throughout the civilized world, and of which the sixth 

 edition (1134 pages), issued in 1892 under the superintendence of his 

 distinguished son, Prof. Edward Salisbury Dana, still maintains the 

 high reputation attained by the original work. As a geologist and 

 palaeontologist, he published in 1863 a similarly excellent and well- 

 illustrated " Manual of Geology," having special regard to the geology 

 of the North American continent, and of which the fourth edition 

 (1087 pages) was issued only two or three months ago. Of his work 

 as a zoologist, we may cite as example his elaborate report on the 

 zoophytes, collected by an expedition in which he took a very active 

 part. The report is illustrated by 61 plates, and in it are described no 

 fewer than 230 new species. Attainments so diverse belong only to 

 the few. 



James Dwight Dana was born on Febrnray 12, 1813, at Utica, in the 

 State of New York, U.S.A., and was therefore in his eighty-third 

 year at the time of his death. He was educated at Yale College, New 

 Haven, Connecticut, receiving there a sound training in mathematics, 

 physics and chemistry, which was of the greatest service to him in his 

 subsequent career ; he proceeded to his degree in the year 1833. His 

 appointment as Instructor of Mathematics to the midshipmen of the 

 United States Navy gave him splendid opportunities for the study of 

 nature in various parts of the world, particularly in France, Italy, and 

 Turkey, opportunities of which he was not slow to avail himself ; more 

 especially was his attention attracted to the study of volcanic pheno- 

 mena by an ascent of Vesuvius, a sight of Stromboli, and an excursion 

 in the Island of Milo in the year 1834. Settling down for a short time, 

 he acted as chemical assistant at Yale College to his old teacher and 

 friend, Prof. Silliman (1836-38) ; but an opportunity again presenting 

 itself of making a long voyage of marine observation, he accepted the 

 appointment of mineralogist and geologist to the United States explor- 

 ing expedition, which was to proceed round the world. This expedition, 

 under Charles Wilkes as Commander, was admirably equipped for the 

 objects in view, and consisted of two sloops-of-war, a store-ship, and a 

 brig ; the cruise extended over four years (1838-42), and the scientific 



