WILSON, Sir Daniel, Canadian educator, born in Edinburgh, Scotland, 5 January, 1816. His brother, Dr. George Wilson, was the famous chemist and professor of technology in the University of Edinburgh. Daniel received his education at the high-school of his native city and at Edinburgh university, where he won high encomiums. At the age of twenty-one he left college and removed to London, where he adopted literature and journalism as his means of support. A few years afterward he returned to Edinburgh, where he resumed his pen, pursued the science of archaeology, became the secretary of the Scottish society of antiquaries, and undertook the editorship of the proceedings of that institution. He also devoted himself to art with much skill and became proficient as a draughtsman. Wilson was offered the post of professor of history and English literature in University college, Toronto, in 1853. He had held the post but a short time when the authorities of McGill university, Montreal, offered him the principalship of that institution, but he declined to leave Toronto. In addition to his regular work, he continued to devote himself to archaeology and ethnology. These he prosecuted with untiring industry, and always with excellent results, his lectures and discourses on those subjects, as well as on history and literature, being characterized by breadth of view and ripeness of scholarship and thought. As an examiner his tact and discernment served him well, and as a teacher he at once took a high place. In his capacity of lecturer he spoke with great clearness and vigor, and his public addresses always attracted large audiences. His plea before the committee of the Canadian parliament in behalf of University college and non-sectarian endowments is remembered as one of the most effective addresses ever heard before a public body. In 1880 he was called to the presidency of Toronto university, which post he still holds. In 1882, on the formation of the Royal society of Canada by the Marquis of Lorne, Dr. Wilson was selected by the governor-general to preside over the second section of that body, the department devoted to history, archaeology, and English literature. In 1885 he succeeded to the presidency of the society. He has contributed many valuable papers on ethnology and archaeology to the annual volumes of the "Proceedings" of that society, which have attracted attention abroad. Dr. Wilson is a fellow of the Royal societies of Edinburgh, Italy, and Copenhagen, and member of the Royal historical society of Great Britain, and many other learned bodies in both hemispheres. In 1885 McGill university conferred on him the degree of LL. D. Other colleges have honored him in a similar way before and since that date. In 1888 the same degree was conferred on him by Princeton. In 1888 the queen offered him the dignity of knighthood, which he declined for personal reasons. This act her majesty declined to entertain, and on 1 August she issued letters-patent declaring him a knight of the United Kingdom. For many years he has been president of the Young men's Christian association of Toronto, and all schemes of a benevolent and charitable nature have ever found in him a devoted advocate. The Newsboys' home of Toronto was founded by him. For several years he has been chairman of the Ontario teachers' association, and twice ha was elected by the high-school masters as their representative in the old council of public instruction. Besides voluminous contributions to periodical literature, and the proceedings of societies of which he is a member, he is the author of "Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time," illustrated by himself (2 vols., Edinburgh, 1846-'8); "Oliver Cromwell and the Protectorate" (London, 1848); "The Archaeology and Prehistoric Annals of Scotland," with illustrations by the author, which established his reputation as an archaeologist of the first rank (Edinburgh, 1851; revised ed., entitled "Prehistoric Annals of Scotland," 2 vols., London, 1863); "Prehistoric Man " (2 vols., 1862; revised ed., 1865) ; "Chatterton : a Biographical Study" (London, 1869); "Caliban: the Missing Link " (1873) ; and "Reminiscences of Old Edinburgh " (2 vols., 1878). He has also published two volumes of poems, the second entitled "Spring Wild Flowers" (London, 1873), and has written many of the important articles on Canadian topics in the "Encyclopaedia Britannica."