

SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF ANDREW DOWNS PIERS. Clll 



place soon became a most popular resort for the curious and for those 

 students and lovers of natnre and good fellowship who found keen 

 pleasure in the proprietor's company, and many anecdotes are con- 

 nected with the naturalist's life in this lovely spot. The Prince of 

 Wales, now King Edward, paid a visit to the place when in Halifax 

 in 1860, as did nearly every notable person who came this way, 

 including Prince Jerome Bonaparte, King Victor Emmanuel's daughter, 

 Lord and Lady Falkland, Capt. Sir Richard Grant, and many others. 



In 1864 Downs visited Europe, being complimented by a free pa- 

 sage across the Atlantic in one of Her Majesty's war vessels, the 

 " Mersey," Capt. Caldwell. On this occasion he carried with him 

 several living specimens, two cases of mounted birds and a stuffed 

 moose, which he presented to the London zoological garden. In 

 Europe he received courtesies from many scientific men. 



On his return to Halifax his zoological garden was much improved, 

 and the following extract from an article by his friend Charles Hallock, 

 author of "The Fishing Tourist,'' and founder and proprietor of 

 " Forest and Stream,'' graphically describes the place in these, its best 

 days* : 



" I recall his premises as if it were but yesterday. From a rustic 

 gate in the enclosing hedge a gravelled road wound under interlacing 

 trees to a Gothic cottage over-hung with woodbines and honeysuckles, 

 and surmounted at all points with antlers of elk and moose. This 

 was at once the residence of the proprietor and the outpost of the 

 realm. Beside the porch were bird houses perched on poles, whose 

 chattering tenants hovered round, entering and departing at will. 

 Pigeons of all sorts tumbled and circled overhead, and strange noises 

 were emitted from a neighboring copse. Here and there were rude 

 boxes of cocoons of many varieties, kept for experiments. Not far 

 from the door a pair of whale's ribs and some huge vertebrate lay upon 

 the lawn. 



" Entering the house by the main hall-door ajar, we find it alive with 

 the more delicate species of songsters. The parlors and reception 



* " The First American Zoo," by Charles Hallock ; Nature, New York, Vol 1. No- 

 10 (Jan. 4, 189"), pp. 130-131. The reader is also referred to another article by Mr. 

 Hallock, "Andrew Downs, F. R. s. [error for c. M. z a.], Naturalist," in Forest and 

 Stream, New York, Vol. 53, No. 10 (S. pt. 2, 1899), p. 181, with portrait, p. 182. In both 

 of these papers ho strongly appeals for public recognition tf Downs as the founder of 

 the first zoological garden in America. 



