File includes a newspaper article published in The Montreal Daily Witness; collection of sketches of various species; notes on Dawson's geological surveys of British Columbia and Nova Scotia; and plans.

File consists of lecture and summary notes on the study of geological, geographical and climate changes.

File includes a bundle of poems and verses written by Dawson.

File consists of a notebook of natural history lecture notes ("Volume IV") from the Royal School of Mines 1871-1872 session.

File consists of two childhood diaries. The diary dated from summer 1865 recounts a trip to the United Kingdom taken with his father when George Mercer Dawson was 16 years old. The diary dated 1861 was kept while George Mercer Dawson was 11 years old and begins 1 March 1861. One loose leaf with instructions for a magic lantern was previously laid in the diary. 1861 diary speaks of lessons with "Miss," tells of pasttimes and games including tops and marbles, siling boats, tag, bow and arrows, magic lantern, etc. Speaks also of continued headaches and being tired.

File consists of two bound pocket notebooks, one dated 1882 and one between 1869-1871. The notebook beginning 21 June 1869 is a small red pocket notebook with gold clasp and contains geological observations and drawings of a cave at Murray Bay in Quebec (1869), Grange Quarry and Burntisland (summer 1870) and a British Geological Association excursion (1871). The 1882 notebook contains poems and notes on France and Germany written while traveling .

File includes George Mercer Dawson's passport (dated 1882), a small account book dated 1879, and 19 small index cards (tied with string) containing bibliographic citations for publications on geology.

File consists of two diaries, one dated 1869 and one dated between 1871-1872. The 1869 diary begins 11 September 1869 contains entries describing his first year in England and contains remarks on sailing from Montreal to Ireland (September-October 1869), Edinburgh (October), church attendance, sightseeing and trips, accounts, etc. 1871-1872 notebook contains notes on geological findings, descriptions of Middlesbrough-on-Tees (July 1872), and coal mining in Pictou county, Nova Scotia.

File contains three watercolours by George Mercer Dawson of the Badlands Mountains, Knife Bay, and a third image of bluffs 50 m above Wolf Point.

File includes drawings and sketches.