OBITUARY. 
69 
that the Society purchased the valuable fire-proof building 
which they now occupy on Union Street. This was made 
possible by a large legacy left by a former president, Dr. 
LeB. Botsford, and the purchase was secured by another 
large legacy left by Mrs. Gilbert Murdoch. Thus before his 
death Senator Ellis had the satisfaction of seeing the Society 
on a more stable basis and in a more prosperous condition 
than when he assumed the presidency. 
Senator Ellis was a man of broad literary culture and of 
general scientific knowledge, as may be gathered from the 
addresses delivered by him at several annual meetings of the 
Society. These will be found in the Annual Bulletins of the 
Society, published between 1902 and 1909. He was largely 
instrumental in urging public measures advocated by the 
Society, as for instance the Act for the establishment of a 
Public Park, or reserved forest area, on the headwaters of the 
St. John and other rivers in the northern part of the province. 
The Society interested itself in having this Act passed, — a 
very necessary one, for protecting the sources of the water- 
supply to the most important rivers of the province. But 
the Act cannot become operative until the Provincial Govern- 
ment defines the bounds of this park, or reserve. In the year 
following the passage of this Act, Senator Ellis, in his paper 
and elsewhere, urged the defining by the government of the 
limits of this reserved area. 
A particular interest was taken by Senator Ellis and the 
members of his family in the summer outings, or Field Meet- 
ings, of the Society, which were held during the Society’s 
vacation in the summer. It was the habit of the president to 
take charge of one of these meetings each year, and they were 
made very instructive and enjoyable functions. These Field 
Meetings afforded unusual opportunities for Nature Study, 
and for acquiring an extended knowledge of the attractive 
natural features of the vicinity of St. John. 
The following resolution was adopted at the Council 
meeting after the president’s death and voiced, however inade- 
quately, the Society’s appreciation of the loss they have sus- 
tained in their late president’s death. 
