22 ADDRESS OF THE EDITOR. [January, 



indeed does not concern all of tliem^ nor the major part of them, 

 but only such of them as criticize what they read. We rather 

 encourage this propensity in all our readers. \\q are critics, 

 and nothing unless critical ; and we only want to regulate this 

 bias of humanity, not to forbid its manifestation. There are, 

 and always have been, fault-finders, who complain of the fare 

 furnished them as deficient in quality, or in quantity, or in both. 



These readers and contributors also, for they sustain both 

 characters, are reminded, not for the first time, that the ' Phy to- 

 logist' is at their service for bringing their complaints before 

 the readers in general. In our pages they have the opportunity 

 of propounding all sorts of proper and answerable questions, and 

 a place where they may state, temperately of course, their opi- 

 nions about any paper or article, or controvert any fact printed 

 in the magazine ; to offer their views omnibus cle rebus et quibus- 

 dam aliis. 



If any mistateraent appears, or any real or fancied grievance 

 is discovered in any article, the discoverer or the complainant is 

 respectfully invited to send his plaint or his discovery to the 

 Editor immediately for publication. He begs leave to suggest 

 that correspondents need not take the trouble of writing to him 

 privately on the subject ; a short note in the ' Phytologist' may 

 generally be sufficient to answer the requirements of the case. 



The Editor will of course exercise his privilege of modifying 

 such strictures and remarks as might be offensive to the author 

 of the article which may become the subject of censure ; but he 

 would rather not be made the medium of conveying animadver- 

 sion privately. He is a censor only in his public capacity as a 

 critic and an Editor. 



This is confessedly the courteous mode of proceeding in all 

 such cases ; and it is not only the most useful course, it is also 

 the common practice of journalism. It is but fair to give every 

 writer the opportunity of meeting the charge urged against his 

 facts or his views, that he may either defend, retract, or modify 

 his previous convictions. 



Of course the Editor cannot vouch for the perfect immaculacy 

 of every article which he commits to the press. He must rely 

 on the fidelity and accuracy of his correspondents : but he pro- 

 fesses entire impartiality on all botanical subjects, and endea- 

 vours to deal fairly with all who contribute to the miscellany. 



