8 APPENDIX. 



don, would compel that icork to discontinue at the close of the year. It has 

 nowjcery few advertisements, and Loudon has left it. * * * If you 

 like to take it [the Naturalist], I promise to use my best efforts to en- 

 crease its sale among my numerous correspondents, and a better time there 

 can scarce be for takins^ the work, when Loudon's is so rapidly going down 

 in public estimation. Jardine's Magazine of Zoology and Botany is two- 

 monthly, and so dry and scientific as to have a very limited sale, and with 

 the exception of the Naturalist, England cannot boast of a single good 

 Magazine of Natural History. * * If it were printed in London, I am 

 sure it would become profitable. 



I am, Sir, 



Your obedient Servant, 

 NEVILLE WOOD. 



P. S. — I had'proposed to send this through an M.P., but as.the con- 

 tents are important, think it better it should go direct.^ 



To Mr. 



Now for the reply of the party to whom the above appli- 

 cation was addressed. 



No. 2. 



London, April 8, 1837. 

 Sir, 



I have given your proposal consideration, and do not con- 

 ceive it would be to my advantage to enter into any arrangement for the 

 publication of the ' Naturalist.' I can have no wish in any way to discou- 

 rage you, but I think it will be a matter of difficulty to supplant Loudon's 

 Magazine. 



Your's kc. 



Neville Wood, Esq. 



Campsall Hall. 



In the case of periodical w^orks devoted to general litera- 

 ture, and which are carried on so long as they are sources of 

 pecuniary emolument to editors or publishers, the London 

 booksellers can form a tolerably correct estimate of their re- 

 spective stability by the number of copies which pass through 

 their hands ; and hence little or no injury could be sustained 

 by the private circulation of false information. But as it re- 

 spects scientific journals, generally speaking, the number of 

 copies sold is so limited that this criterion does not exist ; and 

 Mr. Wood's statement that the new series of the ' Magazine 

 of Natural History ' gave universal dissatisfaction, and that 

 Mr. Loudon had ceased to have any connection wdth the 

 work, might, under some circumstances, have been productive 



* The ex-editor of the ' Naturalist' has placed himself in so critical a 

 position by writing this, and sending other letters of a similar character, 

 that I presume he will be very well satisfied to find himself arraigned be- 

 fore no other bar than that of public opinion. 



