MONTHLY AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GROLOGY AND NATUltAL 

 SClliXCF. 



The piiblichas already been made acquainted with tlie cii-cumstances which 

 pi'odviced a tenipoiaiy suspension of the publication of tliis JournaL^ 'I'he 

 Kditor felt that the most satisfactory atonement tiiat could be made to his sub- 

 sci'ibers in favour of this work, fur tlie dishonourable conduct of his late pub- 

 lisher II. If. I'orter, was to fniis'i the first \ olume, and present it to those who 

 have paid in anticipation, witiiout any further charge, and at his own expense. 

 Tliis has been partly done by the delivery of the numbers for March and 

 Aprd. Those for May and June, which will complete the first volume, are 

 now in progress. 



For tlie pecuniary sacrifices he has conceived himself called upon to make, 

 he has no prospect of indemnification but from an increar.ed subscription, 

 wliich he respectfully asks for from those who feel interested in the cultiva- 

 tion of American Natural History. 



An examination into the affairs of his Journal, having been forced upon 

 him by the failure alluded to, he has discovered the extent of the injury it 

 lias received from the culpable negligence of the late publisher. Having 

 had no agenc}-, hitliei'to, in the distribution of the Journal, he could offer 

 no immediate satisfaction to the numerous complaints which Iiave been ad- 

 dressed to him from subscribers and agents, of various numbers not having 

 been received by them: he has, however, endeavoured to comply with their 

 wisln-s to have their sets completed. In future, ail the numbers will be for- 

 warded through the post office — until otherwise insti-uctcd — as the most 

 certain channel. ^ 



The Editor has also discovered that owing to misrepresentations from inter- 

 ested and unfriendly persons,, the circulation of his Journal has been very 

 much limited. A few copies of the work have been i-eg;ilarly forwarded t(^ 

 some principal bookseller in eacli of the laige towns of the Ignited State.", 

 and almost in every instance the work li.as found its way into the hands of one 

 or more subscribers. Yet a respectable publisher in Nev\'-Haven, Connecti- 

 cut, in acknowledging the receipt of ten copies of eVery number of the 

 Journal, adds that it is not owing to " any neglect or want of exertion" on his 

 part, tliat he has not a single subscriber in that town : the inference of course 

 is, that it is owing to something else. So that a work which has hitlierto 

 been stamped with general approbation, and which is devoted to American 

 Geology and American Natural Historj-, has not been permitted to have a sin- 

 gle subscriber in New-Haven, the pretended seat of an American Geological 

 Socie')'. This fact, wliich was unknown to the Editor until wltliin a short 

 period, has pro^•ed to him, that active exertions are necessary to seciu-e even 

 fair dealing for his Journal. 



Unfriendly insinuations too, of the Editor's want of ability for his task, 

 have been circidated in quarters where he is little known. Spargere voc(s 

 ambiguas, is a base game, and is sure to rc-act in the end, upon those wlio 

 indulge in it. If the Journal could o'nly find its way into the hands of those 

 who ha\e thus been improperly prejudiced, the Editor would rely with satis- 

 faction upon the result. 



These various unfa\ orable circumstances, which have, more or less, been 

 brought to bear against the circulation of this Journal in some parts of the 

 United States, have made it imperative upon the Editor to endeavour to un- 

 deceive the public, where it is necessarv, and to place the Journal upon a 

 substantial foundation. It is for these reasons, and not from the habit of in- 

 dulging in boa.sting, that the Editor yields to the advice of some of his friends ; 

 and to favour the nitcrcsts of his Journal, tloes a violence to his own taste. 



