Cvi 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 venerate in years, built a museum 

 annex to his house arid 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 Elizabetn 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 arid 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." 



