70 
OBITUARY 
Whereas, in the Providence of God, the Honourable John 
Y. Ellis, LL. D., Senator, President of the Natural History 
Society of New Brunswick, has been called to rest, resolved, 
that the following minute be adopted: 
The services rendered to the Natural History Society of 
New Brunswick by the late Senator Ellis for many years, 
and especially during the last twelve years while he was the 
honored President of the Society, can hardly be overestimated. 
He not only presided with combined dignity and urbanity 
at every meeting that it was possible for him to attend, but 
his sound judgment and advice were ever at the service of 
the Society, and its present satisfactory position may be 
attributed in large measure to the wisdom and prudence 
exercised by our late President in directing its affairs. Not 
only so, but his influential position in the councils of the 
nation, and as a publicist, enabled him in many ways to 
serve the interests of this Society, for whose welfare and 
progress he was at all times solicitous. 
While our late President made no claim to authority in 
any particular branch of natural science, he manifested a 
keen interest in the general progress and discoveries of scien- 
tific research, and his criticism of scientific works and essays 
which usually formed the subject of his annual addresses, 
manifested that fine perception, that insight and appreciation, 
which are the gift of ripe scholarship. 
While thus giving expression to our sense of the loss 
which our Society has sustained, we cannot but be mindful 
of the much greater loss which the death of our late Pres- 
ident has brought upon Mrs. Ellis and all those who were 
near and dear to him and of whose very life he formed an 
almost inseparable part. To them in their sore bereavement 
we desire to express our very kind regards and heartfelt 
sympathy; and 
Further resolved, that the Secretary be requested to send 
to Mrs. Ellis a copy of this minute, conveying to her and 
others of her household the most sincere sympathy of every 
member of the Council of the Natural History Society of 
New Brunswick. 
