PREFACE. 



endeavoured to conduct Science-Gossip is the right one — free as possible 

 from the extreme technicalities of Science on the one hand, and from 

 mere dilettantism on the other. Scientific men see with pleasure how 

 largely increasing is the class of educated people who take an interest 

 in their labours, and even devote as much of their own time to the 

 same subjects as business or professional pursuits will allow ; scientific 

 information is more eagerly sought after by the more intelligent masses, 

 and it is to these especially that we endeavour to appeal. 



At the same time, we hope the present Classified Index will show 

 that our labours have not been in vain in the cause of true Science. 

 The Naturalist will see in it an Encyclopedia of general Natural History, 

 full of details on most subjects, all of which can now be easily sought 

 out. The paragraphs and articles may be very unequal in their scientific 

 value, but we think that, as a whole, the Index shows that the Twelve 

 Volumes of Science-Gossip include a mass of data which cannot fail to 

 be useful for general popular scientific reference. 



