reminiscences of andrew downs. xi 



Second Ordinary Meeting. 



City Council Chamher, Halifax, 11th March, 1907. 



The President, Mr. Uoane, in the chair. 



H. Piers and J. B. McCarthy were appointed a committee to 

 prepare a suitable design for a seal for tlie Institute, and to have 

 the same engraved. 



In the absence of the autlior, Mr. Piers read the following 

 paper by General Campbell Hardy : 



Reminiscences of a Nova Scotian Naturalist: Andrew 

 Downs. — By Major-General Campbell Hardy, 11. A., 

 Dover, England. 



In days gone by, when the writer of this paper was cpiartered 

 at Halifax, N. S., then a great naval and military station of the 

 imperial government, there were two interesting spots which a 

 stranger generally visited first, namely the Old Point Woods and 

 Downs's Zoological Gardens at the head of the North West Arm. 

 The former are now enclosed and preserved in the area termed 

 Point Pleasant Park: the latter have vanished from tlie scene. It 

 is then the oljject of this paper to recall a picture of the past,, to 

 speak of the remarkable man who lived at the head of the North 

 V»'est Arm, and to describe his charming location, Walton Cot- 

 tage.* 



A little stream runs in at the head of the North West Arm, and 

 following it up by the road which branches from the main road 

 from Halifax in the direction of tlie Dutch Village, a few hundred 

 yards brouglit us to Downs's gates. 



The cottage nestled in its prettily wooded grounds, with the 

 shores of the Ann in the backgiound receding towards the blue 

 Atlantic. Here nature and cultivation were charaiingly blended 

 togetlier, and the wild birds from the liills behind loved to come in 

 and nest in perfect confidence in tlie owner's good will towards all 

 living creatures. For I will say this of Downs by way of introduc- 



*rhe grounds on which Downs's zooloorical gardens were situated are now the 

 property of the estate of the late John DoiiU, and Walton Cottage is at present the 

 residence of I)r. Arthur Doull. 



