=Burns, Rev. Robert Ferrier=, D.D., Pastor of the Fort Massey Presbyterian church, Halifax, Nova Scotia. This popular minister was born in Paisley, Scotland, on the 23rd of December, 1826. His father was Robert Burns, D.D., and his mother, Janet Orr, daughter of the first provost of Paisley. His mother’s sister, Susan, was mother of Sir Archibald Orr Ewing, baronet, M.P. for Dumbarton. His father had three brothers in the ministry of the Church of Scotland,—namely, Rev. James Burns, who for forty years was minister of the parish of Brechin; Rev. William H. Burns, D.D., Kilsyth; and Rev. George Burns, D.D., first Presbyterian minister of St. John, New Brunswick, afterwards of Tweedsmuir and Corstorphine, Scotland,—and two uncles in the service of their Sovereign—Major-General Islay Ferrier, the last governor of Dumbarton castle, and Sir William Hamilton, baronet, who commanded the marines that pulled the guns up to the Plains of Abraham, in 1759, at the taking of Quebec. Miss Ferrier, author, and friend of Sir Walter Scott, was a second cousin. Rev. Dr. Burns, sr., was pastor for thirty-three years of Dr. Witherspoon’s church (Laigh Kirk and St. George’s), Paisley, and moved to Toronto in 1845, and became the first pastor of Knox’s Church in that city, and professor in Knox’s College. He died at Toronto on the 19th of August, 1869; and his widow on the 22nd of August, 1882. Rev. Dr. Robert Ferrier Burns received his early education at the High school of Paisley, and then entered the University of Glasgow, where he remained four years, taking honours in Latin, Greek, logic, and moral philosophy. He studied theology in the New College (Free Church), Edinburgh, and Knox’s College, Toronto. In April, 1847, he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Toronto, and on the 1st of July following he was ordained pastor of Chalmer’s Presbyterian church, Kingston, Ontario. He was Presbyterian chaplain in the 71st Highland Light Infantry for a year. He remained in this charge for eight years, and, during his ministry there, succeeded in having built for his congregation a handsome church edifice. In July, 1855, he moved to St. Catharines, and was settled over Knox Presbyterian church of that place. A fine building was erected by his people for him. Here he ministered until March, 1867, when he accepted a call from the Scotch Presbyterian church in Chicago, United States, to become its first pastor, and, during his residence there of three years, a church was built. In 1866, the degree of D.D. was conferred upon him by Hamilton College, New York. In April, 1870, he was translated to Côté Street Presbyterian church (now Crescent street), Montreal, as successor to Principal MacVicar, where he did good work. On the 18th of March, 1875, he became pastor of Fort Massey Presbyterian church in Halifax, as successor to the Rev. J. K. Smith, M.A., now of Galt, who for two years had been first pastor of this influential congregation. In 1873, Dr.