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JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 
JOHN MACOUN, 1832-1920 
By R. M. Anderson 
Professor John Macoun, M.A., F.L.S., F.R.S.C., the dean of Cana- 
dian naturalists, died at his home in Sidney, Vancouver Island, British 
Columbia, on July 18, 1920, aged a little over eighty-eight years. 
He was born near Belfast, Ireland, April 17, 1832, and came to Canada 
with his parents in 1850. A number of his early years he spent in 
teaching school, terminating that career as professor of natural science 
at Albert College, Belleville, Ontario, in 1882, at which time he became 
naturalist of the Geological Survey of Canada. 
Before that time, however, he had done considerable work for the 
Government, joining Sir Sanford Fleming’s exploratory party in 1872 
at Port Arthur, and crossing the plains. From Edmonton he went 
with a small party through the Peace River Pass to the coast. Three 
years later he again crossed the continent travehng from the Pacific 
coast eastward. In 1879, 1880 and 1881, he exhaustively explored the 
little known parts of the Great Northwest country, and his capable 
reports had a great deal to do with making known the immense poten- 
tial resources of that vast territory which is now the great grain-produc- 
ing region of Canada. From his profound knowledge of field botany, 
the relation of wild plant ecology to agriculture, and the time required 
for ripening of seeds of the native flora, he was fully convinced of the 
agricultural possibilities of the prairie provinces of Canada, at a time 
when the Canadian Pacific Railroad was still unbuilt, and the future of 
the great west of Canada was considered by most people a speculative 
dream. 
In devoting his energies to diffusing correct knowledge of the west. 
Professor Macoun was for a long time regarded as a more or less vision- 
ary enthusiast, but time has justified his prophecies and he is entitled 
to rank as an empire builder of the best sort. His book entitled ‘‘Man- 
itoba and the Great North-west,” 687 pages, published privately by 
World Publishing Co., Guelph, Ontario, 1882, gives a graphic descrip- 
tion of the pioneer conditions on the prairies, and much of natural 
history interest. Chapter XX, Mammals of the North-west, pp. 324- 
353; Chapter XXI, Birds of the North-west, pp. 354-373; and Chap- 
ter XXII, Notes on Reptiles, Fishes and Insects, pp. 374-398, give 
much valuable data of long-gone faunal conditions. 
The Annotated Catalogue and Guide to the Publications of the Geo- 
logical Survey of Canada 1845-1917, gives 61 titles of Professor 
