KNOWLEDGE 



^n lUttstrato itaga^^ine of ^timtt 



PLAINLY WORDED & EXACTLY DESCRIBED. 



PRICE SIXPENCE MONTHLY. 



« KNOWLEDGE " was established by the late R. A. Proctor 

 in 1881. It is intended to bring the truths and discoveries of 

 science before the public in simple but correct terms. Many of 

 the interesting investigations of specialists in various departments 

 of science lie buried for years, hidden from the general public and 

 from workers in other departments of science, because they are 

 couched in abstruse and technical terms, often quite unnecessary. 



Science is not degraded by being explained in Saxon English. 

 The specialist who can be induced to state plainly and clearly, in 

 language which all can understand, the facts he has observed and 

 the theories which he has adopted, will himself be benefited, while 

 at the same time he interests and instructs others. The syllo- 

 gisms or methods of reasoning employed by Mathematicians and 

 Astronomers, and indeed in all departments of science, do not 

 ■differ from those employed by exact thinkers about the ordinary 

 affairs of life. It is the degree of familiarity with the terms 

 employed which makes one piece of exact reasoning appear diffi- 

 ■cult and another obvious. 



The number of competent critics is greatly increased, and an 

 important step is made, when a specialist or explorer in science 

 {aptly called by the Germans a Naturforscher) translates his ideas 

 from the abstruse and technical terms commonly employed into the 

 language of ordinary life. It is the object of " KNOWLEDGE " 

 to benefit both the specialist and the public by affording a channel 

 for such plain untechnical explanations. 



As far as the space at the disposal of the Editor will permit, an 

 open field will be allowed for the intelligent discussion of matters 

 relating to the advance of accurate knowledge, but speculative or 

 dogmatic communications will not be accepted, nor will letters 

 referring to disputed questions of Politics or Religion. 



It will be the endeavour of the present proprietors to improve 

 uj)on the illustrations which have hitherto been given in science 

 periodicals, and the aid of photography and photographic 

 methods of reproduction will be invoked as largely as possible. 



London: W. H. ALLEN & CO., Waterloo Place. S.W. 



