evl SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF ANDREW DOWNS—PIERS. 
Subsequently he lived for years on Agricola Street, surrounded by 
living animals and specimens, where his house was well-known to 
naturalists. A couple of years before his death, he, with the vigor 
which characterized him, although venerable in years, built a museum 
annex to his house and placed therein his extremely fine collection of 
mounted native birds. The writer remembers with pleasure many 
pleasant hours spent there in conversation with the aged and kindly 
naturalist, surrounded by hundreds of reminiscent specimens. 
He died after a brief illness at Halifax, on 26th August, 1892, 
wanting but one month of eighty-one years. 
He was twice married, first to Mary Elizabeth Matthews of Hali- 
fax, who died in 1858, having had four daughters, two of whom 
survive ; and secondly to Matilda E. Muhlig of Halifax, by whom 
he had one daughter who survives. 
Ornithology was his chief study, and the store of knowledge he 
possessed of our birds was very large and always freely at the service 
of enquirers. He took particular delight in encouraging the study of 
nature in young people. He was distinctly a field naturalist rather 
than a student of books. 
His taxidermic work was very fine and was evidence of much loving, 
faithful labour. The preliminary operations were accomplished with 
skilful rapidity, but the final manipulations were done with great care. 
I have seen him sit in conversation for hours, with a recently mounted 
specimen beside him, from time to time adjusting feathers, often one 
at a time, or slightly altering the pose here or there, until all satisfied 
his critical eye. He had the rare ability of giving his specimens the 
appearance of having actual flesh within them. For his taxidermic 
work he received many awards at exhibitions in England and else- 
where, including a bronze medal at London in 1851 and in 1862,-a 
bronze medal at Dublin, 1865, and a silver medal at Paris, 1867. Sir 
Wyville Thomson, in a critical article on the natural history section 
of the Paris exhibition, writes (‘Illustrated London News,” 24th 
August, 1867) :—‘“In the Nova Scotia Court there is a very beautiful 
collection of birds stuffed by . . Mr. Downs. These birds are nearly 
perfect in their way ; perhaps there is a little too much sameness in 
the attitudes, but the form and the proportions of the body are per. 
fectly preserved, and there is scarcely a feather out of place.” 
