[McMURRiCH] PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 13 



Brunswick in his "Field and Forest Rambles" published in London 

 in 1873. Dr. J. B. Gilpin contributed several papers on the Natural 

 History of Nova Scotian mammals, and interested himself also in the 

 bird-life of the Province and Robert Morrow found relaxation in 

 studies in comparative anatomy, his accounts of the osteology of the 

 Salmon and of Lophius being especially worthy of notice. 



Many others might be mentioned among the zoological worthies 

 of the Eastern Provinces, but time prevents my doing justice to all. 

 One other name, however, must be recalled, that of Andrew Downs, a 

 native of New Jersey who settled in Halifax in 1825, engaging at first 

 in business as a plumber, although his interest in animals gradually 

 led to his complete devotion to Natural History. He was one of 

 those who delighted in the companionship of his furred and feathered 

 friends and at his home near Halifax, he established a zoological 

 garden and museum, the first of its kind in America. His skill as a 

 taxidermist was of high order and gained him many awards at the 

 great expositions where examples of his handicraft were exhibited, 

 and his success in acclimatizing and breeding wild forms led to his 

 being selected as manager of the Central Park Museum at New York, 

 when that menagerie was established in 1867. Downs felt obliged, 

 however, to decline the appointment and resumed his residence in 

 Halifax where he died in 1892. He was a naturalist of the type of 

 Thomas Edward; with but a modest education and devoid of literary 

 training he has added little to our zoological records, but his extensive 

 knowledge of the birds and mammals of Nova Scotia, gained at first 

 hand, was always at the disposal of those who desired to make use of 

 it and his example undoubtedly stimulated the pursuit of his favorite 

 studies by others. 



In this brief sketch sins of ommission have no doubt been numer- 

 ous, but the endeavour has been to show that in Canada we have 

 worthily passed through the first stage in zoological development. 

 Those who have gone before have left some blanks which we of to-day 

 must endeavour to fill in, but they attacked the problems before them 

 with a zeal and devotion which should serve us as a stimulus to greater 

 effort. The problems of to-day are very different and much broader; 

 their solution calls for organization, equipment and special training 

 such as was unthought of in earlier days, but the records of this 

 Society show that the zoologists of Canada are awakening to the new 

 conditions, and the facilities that are being provided by our Univer- 

 sities and by the Dominion and Provincial Governments are rendering 

 possible the solution of important scientific and economic problems in 

 the field of zoology. Our greatest lack is in men trained to make use 

 of these opportunities, and that lack is due, not to failure on the part 



