OF (HE 
AMERie'i%^N- GEOLOGIST. 
Vol. XXVII. MAY, 1901. No. 5. 
BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF 
ELKANAH BILLINGS. 
Palaeontologist to the Geological Survey of Canada from 1856 to 1876. 
By Henky M. Ami, Ottawa, Canada. 
The late Elkanah Billings, who for twenty years was pal- 
eontologist to the Geological Survey of Canada, and was the 
founder of the Canadian Naturalist and Geologist, was born 
in the township of Gloucester, along the right bank of the Rid- 
eau river in the old, and now demolished Billings homestead 
situated a few yards below the present bridge which spans 
that river at the little village of Billings' Bridge. He was the 
second son of Mr. Bradish Billings, whose ancestors came 
from England, while those on his mother's side came from 
Wales. His grandfather was a Brockville physician. Dr. El- 
kanah Billings, after whom the subject of this sketch was 
named. Both his parents, however, were born in the United 
States, his father in Massachusetts, and his mother in New 
York state. 
From Dr. Whiteaves' obituary notice of Elkanah Billings 
the following extracts are made : 
"Elkanah Billings, our esteemed associate for so many 
years, was born at the family homestead on the 5th of May, 
1820. His first teacher was a governess (Miss Burrit), his 
next a family tutor named Maitland, and he afterwards went 
to three small schools in the neighborhood, kept respectively 
by Messrs. Colquhoun, Collins and Fairfield. In 1832 the 
youth was placed at Rev. D. Turner's school in By town.' as a 
day pupil and after four years' interval, during which he re- 
mained at home on the farm, his parents sent him, in 1S37, to 
