ANNOUNCEMENT. 



The present Number completes tiie Sixth Series of the 

 ' Annals,' and I avail myself of this occasion to pass the 

 responsible editorship over to my Son, who for some years 

 past has largely assisted me in the management, and who 

 is fortunate in retaining the co-operation of tlie two co-Editors 

 whose names apj^ear on the Titlepage, and whose advice has 

 always been at my service during the twenty years I have 

 been associated with them. 



It is now more than 60 years since, fresh from my studies 

 at the University of Berlin, I was consulted by Mr. liicliard 

 Taylor as to the probability of such a Journal meeting with 

 sufficient support. The two Natural History Journals then 

 existing in this country were Loudon's, subsequently 

 Charlesworth's ' Magazine,' and the ' Magazine of Zoology 

 and Botany ' conducted by Sir William Jardine, Dr. Johnston, 

 and Mr. Selby. This latter Journal was about to be discon- 

 tinued, and the same fate seemed likely to result in the 

 case of Sir William Jackson Hooker's ' Botanical Companion.' 

 In these circumstances it was suggested to Mr. Taylor 

 that by amalgamating the two there would be a greater 

 chance of success. 



The two most important Journals on the Continent at that 

 time devoted to Natural History were the ' Annales des 

 Sciences Naturelles ' and the ' Archiv fiir Naturgeschichte,' 

 recently founded by my friend and teacher Professor 

 Wiegmann. 



At a meeting arranged by Mr. Taylor, at which Sir W. 

 Jardine and Sir W. J. Hooker were present, and which I was 



