K 



THE 



MONTHLY AMERICAN JOURNAL 



GEOLOGY* 



AND NATURAL SCIENCE. 



Vol. I. Philadelphia, July, 1831. No. 1. 



PROSPECTUS. 



Natural History, at this time, engrosses a conspicuous portion 

 of the literature of Europe. In our own country, at no period 

 of its history, has a growing inclination for the study of nature 

 manifested itself so decidedly as at this moment. We perceive 

 this, in the favour with which numerous European republica- 

 tions are received here ; in the general solicitude for an accurate 

 exposition of the geology of this continent, and the impatience 

 of our naturalists, restrained as they are from bringing forward, 

 fairly and intelligently, the phenomena of American nature, arid 

 comparing them with those of trans-atlantic countries. 



In Europe, naturalists form an extensive community, governed 

 by the pure love of the science of nature. There is not a 

 branch of natural knowledge that is not under investigation there, 

 by men eminent in science. The study of the structure of our 

 planet, and of the causes of those frequent renewals of its ancient 

 surfaces ; the dawnings of vegetable and animal organization, 

 and their subsequent progress in functionary importance through 

 those ancient surfaces, to the last order of creation, where man 

 appears ; the relation in which organized bodies have at all times 

 stood to each other, both in respect to structure and subsistence ; 

 and their general manifestation of the benevolence and power of 

 God : in all these branches of natural knowledge, the European 

 philosophers have deeply engaged themselves, drawing their illus- 

 trations indifferently from every part of their continent. 



Amidst these general contributions to science, it is painful to 



* At the suggestion of numerous friends we have added the word Gedogy to our title. 

 Vol. I.— 1. 



