196 HINTS RELATIVE TO 



experience in these matters, I shall now lay before the reader 

 an estimate of the cost of such a number. 



£ s. d. 



Cost of paper and printing, correcting and ad- 

 vertising, 250 copies, size of Entomolo- 

 gical Magazine, about 27 



Cost of three plates, (drawing, engraving and 



colouring), five figures in each . . . 31 15 



58 15 

 Sale of 250 copies, at 2s.9d 34 7 6 



Net loss per number 24 7 6 



Or on four quarterly numbers 97 10 



This estimate, be it observed, is a most favourable one ; for 

 it is made on the supposition that every copy will be sold, 

 which no one, at all acquainted with the present rage for the 

 " penny press" would expect. And yet, on this shewing, 

 the publication would entail upon the Society a loss of 

 97/. 10s. per annum, a its present income being 105/. I must 

 confess, that, in my estimation, no folly is greater than that 

 which we commit with our eyes open. 



It may be said, indeed, by those who hold a different 

 opinion from myself, that the estimated extent of sale is too 

 small, or that the members would willingly make a trifling 

 addition to their annual subscription, for the sake of seeing 

 their own communications in the form of regular Transactions. 

 To these, however, I would reply, in the first place, that they 

 must be very ignorant of the present sale of purely scientific 

 works, who would bring forward this objection; and, secondly, 

 that any permanent increase of the annual subscription would 

 be, in fact, a direct violation of those terms upon which the 

 members consented to join the Society. That such a propo- 

 sition would, consequently, be resisted very extensively, can- 

 not be doubted, and the very existence of the Society would 

 be endangered. It will be observed, moreover, that in this 

 estimate we go upon the supposition, that the members 



a At Mr. Swainson's request, we have entered minutely into the detail of the 

 expenses, and find the statement above perfectly correct. — Ed. 



