HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF INSTITUTE. PIERS. v 



woods near the Three-mile House, which will be found 

 described in our Transactions. (See Lawson, M. J. K., 

 History of Dartmouth, pp. 205-218; Trans. N. S. I. N. S., 

 vol. i, pt. 4, pp. 149-152). 



REV. THOMAS MACCULLOCH, D. D., ornithologist, was 

 born at Neilston, Scotland, in 1776, and died at Halifax, 

 N. S., 10th September, 1843. He was educated at the 

 University of Glasgow and at Whiteburn, came to Nova 

 Scotia in November, 1803, and was appointed first minister 

 of Prince St. Church, Pictou, 6th June, 1804. From 1817 

 to 1824 he was the first principal of Pictou Academy, and in 

 1838 was appointed principal of Dalhousie College, Halifax. 

 He made a study of our natural history, being particularly 

 interested in birds, but also gave attention to mineralogy 

 and left a manuscript list of Nova Scotian mineral localities 

 which has since been published by this Institute. Audubon 

 has left an account of meeting him in August, 1833 (See 

 Audubon's Journal). MacCulloch's collection of birds is now 

 the property of Dalhousie University, and, although badly 

 mounted, contains some rare specimens, such as that of the 

 Labrador Duck. Regarding the MacCulloch collection, it 

 may be noted that Audubon says, "I am much surprised that 

 his valuable collection had not been purchased by the govern- 

 or of the province, to whom he offered it for five hundred 

 pounds. I think it worth a thousand pounds." I can only 

 add my own deep regret that the province did not obtain 

 it for the price asked. About 500 has since been refused 

 for one of its specimens alone! 



ABRAHAM GESNER, M. D.,'F. G. S., mineralogist and 

 geologist, was born at Cornwallis, N. S., of New York (loyal- 

 ist) stock, on 2nd May, 1797, and died at Halifax, 29th 

 April, 1864. He studied surgery and medicine in London 

 under Sir Astley Cooper and Dr. Abernethy, and then 

 returned to Nova Scotia, settling at Parrsborough. That 

 district was rich in interesting minerals and he soon became 



