Biographical Sketch of Elkanah Billings. — Ami. 267 
The magnificent collections of Crinoidea, Cystoidea and 
Asteroidea from the Trenton limestone of Ottawa, that are 
now exhibited in the museum of the Geological Survey of 
Canada, testify to his remarkable success and energies in these 
researches, for it must be remarked that these organisms are 
exceedingly rare and great diligence as well as patience must 
be exercised if satisfactory results are to be obtained. 
Early in 1856 Mr. Billings issued the first number of the 
Canadian Naturalist of which, and the succeeding numbers 
of the first volume, he was practically the sole contributor. 
The production of this number marks an epoch in the his- 
tory of the progress of scientific research and discussion in 
Canada. The articles contained in the first volume of the 
Canadian Naturalist and Geologist at once stamp Mr. Bill- 
ings as a master in description both of fossil organic remains 
and of recent natural history objects. 
Previous to the issue of this magazine, Mr. Billings had 
been brought into direct communication with Sir William 
Logan, then director of the Geological Survey of Canada, and 
it was not long, yea, but few months elapsed, until the latter 
with his usual clearsightedness engaged the services of Mr. 
Billings, his friend, as paleontologist to the Geological Sur- 
vey of Canada. It was in August, 1856, that Mr. Billings en- 
tered upon his duties as government paleontologist and. un- 
til his death, which took place June 14, 1876. a period of near- 
ly twentv vears elapsed in which he worked ceaselessly in the 
domain of paleontology, and in assisting his chief and direc- 
tor in assigning geological outcrops to the various geological 
horizons of eastern Canada, involving numerous and difficult 
problems which made it a task of no mean importance. 
His first geological paper was published in April, 1854. 
and was entitled "On Some New Genera and Species of Cys- 
tidea from the Trenton Limestone." It was published in the 
Canadian Journal, Toronto, page 215. On removing to Mon- 
treal in 1856, Mr. Billings removed also the headquarters of 
his magazine. The Canadian Naturalist and Geologist. 
from that date on was published in Montreal under the same 
designation and under the name of Canadian Naturalist and 
Q. J. So., until 1883, when it was superceded by the Cana- 
dian Record of Science, and became the recognized official 
