PREFACE. 



The Magazine of Natural History, our readers, we trust, will 

 agree with us in thinking, improves as it proceeds ; and this Fifth 

 Volume, now brought to a close, will be found to excel all that 

 have preceded it, in the variety and interest of the communi- 

 cations which it contains. For this superiority we are mainly 

 indebted to our contributors, among whom, it will be found, are 

 not only some of the first naturalists of this country, but also 

 others, whom this Magazine has been the means of exciting to 

 enter on this branch of study. Our readers cannot have failed to 

 observe that this work, as well as the Gardeners Magazine, has 

 derived the greatest advantage from the industry and talent of 

 our excellent co-editor, Mr. Denson. 



In consequence of the increasing number of communications, 

 we have, for more than a year past, contemplated the idea of 

 publishing the work monthly ; and we have solicited, from time 

 to time, the opinion of our readers and correspondents on this 

 subject. Our correspondents, with very few exceptions, approve 

 of the proposed change, but we have not the same assurance from 

 our readers generally. We have, therefore, after mature con- 

 sideration, determined on continuing the work another year, at 

 least, on the same terms of publication as heretofore. 



In the Index to this Volume we have omitted what we were led 

 to think by some of our friends would render it more complete, 

 viz., the separate alphabets of the Queries and Answers, and of 

 the Retrospective Criticism. We find that this gave readers a 

 great deal of additional trouble, by obliging them, when consulting 

 the Magazine on any particular subject, first to refer to the 

 common alphabet, and next to the separate alphabets, under the 

 two heads mentioned. We have, in the present Index, endea- 

 voured to arrange every item of information so distinctly as 

 seldom, if ever, to have two references to the same pages under 

 different heads ; a fault (as we think) common to most indexes. It 



S A 2 



