LIBRARY 

 PREFACE. ^EWYOJRIC 

 iBOTANfCAL 

 — ^ — GARDEN 



The present volume of tlie Journal has been continued on the same 

 plan as the previous one ; but it is intended in future volumes to 

 subdivide " Microscopy " into two parts, " (a) Collecting, Mounting, 

 and Examining Objects," and " (/3) Instruments, Accessories, &c." 



As the result of endeavours made to ascertain the views of the 

 Fellows, it has been found that a desire exists that the pages 

 occupied by the Bibliography should be devoted to an extension of 

 the abstracts of important biological and microscopical papers, 

 instead of including the titles simply of all such papers. 

 Kecognizing that the Editors exist for the Journal, and not 

 the Journal for the Editors, it is intended to give eflfect to this 

 ■wish, though not without some personal regret. The aim of the 

 Journal has been, as before explained, to give the Fellows full 

 information as to what has been published in the current periodical 

 literature of all countries; and as it is impossible to do this 

 completely — at any rate at present — by means of abstracts, the 

 Bibliography was intended to supply some of the omissions, so 

 that the Fellows might still feel assured that there was no paper 

 that was not, in some form, brought under their notice. 



As great importance must attach to the nearest approach to 

 completeness in this respect, it is proposed to incorporate with 

 the Biecord of Current Researches, bibliographical notes of papers 

 that it may be impossible to abstract, either for want of space or 

 for other reasons. 



Some of the parts of the Journal are now out of print — the 

 number required having been in excess of the expected demand. 

 The Publication Committee would have been glad to avoid com- 

 mencing a new series at so early a period, but they have come to 

 the conclusion that under the circumstances this will be the better 

 course, so that it may be possible for future Fellows to commence 

 with a complete series rather than with one which must always 

 remain incomplete. 



Additional title-pages are supplied with this volume, so that 

 Fellows desirous of binding it in two parts can do so. The Council, 

 after consideration, were of opinion that it will be better to have one 

 volume only for each year, rather than to multiply the number of 



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