Obituary Notices of Felloivs deceased. 



excursion for us to the Black Forest to see the ' young green ' of the beeches. 

 Then the delightful visit he paid us at Highcliff— all past and gone! The 

 blessed thing is to think the friendship can never be disturbed now, and the 

 memory of his noble life remains." 



Besides those names already mentioned, the writer is indebted to Prof. W. G. 

 Farlow, Prof. A. G. Nathorst, and Prof. F. E. Weiss, F.E.S., for information 

 and help. 



D. H. S. 



ROBEET BELL, 1841-1917. 



Dr. EoBEET Bell died on June 18, 1917, at Eathwell, Manitoba, in the 

 77th year of his age. He was born in Toronto on June 3, 1841, and was a 

 son of the Eeverend Andrew Bell, of the Free Church of Scotland. He was 

 educated at the Grammar School of the county of Prescott, Ontario, and 

 subsequently at McGill University and the University of Edinburgh. 



AVhile still a boy of 15 years of age he joined the Geological Survey of 

 Canada, under Sir William Logan, in the capacity of Junior Assistant, and 

 was rapidly promoted in the service, where he remained — with but one short 

 interval — for over fifty years, retiring as Chief Geologist and Acting Director 

 in the year 1908. 



He married Agues, daughter of the late Alexander Smith, of Westbourne, 

 Glasgow, and Auchentroig, Stirlingshire, and leaves one son and three 

 daughters. 



Practically nothing was known of the geology of Canada, and very little 

 with reference to its geography, when Mr. William E. (afterwards Sir 

 William) Logan was called upon to undertake the organisation of the 

 Geological Survey of Canada, and, as its first Director, to carry out the 

 mapping of this vast area and the examination of its mineral resources. 

 Dr. Bell's work, as a member of Sir William Logan's staff, in these early 

 years consisted therefore exclusively of geological reconnaissance and geo- 

 graphical explox'ation. Even in later years, and until his administrative 

 work confined him to his office, Dr. Bell's work remained essentially of this 

 character. 



The exploratory traverses and track surveys whicli he carried out were 

 chiefly within the area of the great Laurentian protaxis or " Canadian 

 Shield," which forms such a striking feature, and which has played, and will 

 continue to play, so important a role in shaping Canadian history and in 

 influencing tlie character of the Canadian people. Dr. Bell's lines of explora- 

 tion crossed and re-crossed this area from the Atlantic Coast to the Great 

 Lakes on its western border, and from Lake Huron and Lake Superior on the 

 south to the Arctic Sea, following the waterways of this great land. He also 



