1880.] 



MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 



13 



EDITORIAL. 



Special Notice. 



Subscribers will please remember 

 that their subscriptions are due in 

 advance. By remitting on receipt 

 of this number they will greatly 

 oblige the publisher, and save him 

 the time and labor required in 

 making out a large number of bills. 

 The receij^t of the journal, here- 

 after, will be an acknowledgement 

 of payment received. Those who 

 are willing to assist in extending 

 the circulation of the Monthly, can 

 readily do so by referring to it in 

 their correspondence, stating that 

 they have received this number. 



Aims and Prospects. 



Entering once more upon a field 

 which is already strewn Avith the 

 wrecks of so many enterprises in 

 the line of scientific journalism, it 

 seems proper that we should say a 

 few words about the character of 

 our publication, and its prospects. 



There has long been a recognized 

 demand for a good, authoritative 

 periodical, devoted to the micros- 

 cope and its practical applications. 

 Popular in its form and aims, yet 

 sufhciently technical to be valuable 

 to the serious student. It is such a 

 journal that we propose to issue. 

 How well we shall succeed in meet- 

 ing the wants of our readers, remains 

 to be seen. A number of susbcribers 

 have already requested articles on 

 certain subjects, and we intend to 

 furnish them as soon as practicable. 

 We are always ready to receive 

 requests and suggestions of this na- 

 ture from correspondents, and will 

 give them early attention ; if readers 

 will express their desires, they will 

 greatly assist us in selecting articles 

 to meet their wants. 



We wish to impress the fact, 



upon the minds of our subscribers, 

 that the columns of this journal are 

 freely open to them for the dis- 

 cussion of subjects- of general inter- 

 est. Only well-tempered and 

 courteous criticism will be allowed, 

 but any side of any subject will be 

 fairly presented. The correspon- 

 dence column, and the " Questions 

 and Answers " will oifer every fa- 

 cility for discussion, criticism, and 

 giving and imparting information. 

 We cordially invite subscribers to 

 make free use of the facilities thus 

 offered. 



Concerning original articles for 

 the body of the journal, they need 

 not be long or exceedingly scien- 

 tific. In truth, our paper is not 

 large enough to admit lengthy ar- 

 ticles, such as were published in the 

 Quarterly. It is far better adapted 

 to popular articles, embodying the 

 results of observations by amateur 

 workers, descriptions of minute 

 forms of life, hints designed to assist 

 young students, accounts of the 

 habits and peculiarities of the micro- 

 scopic animals and plants found in 

 various places, and to contributions 

 that possess a general interest, or are 

 valuable as records of discoveries. 

 With these suggestions in mind, no 

 one need hesitate to contribute Avhat- 

 ever seems to be of value ; and no 

 isolated fact concerning the minute 

 inhabitants of the world revealed 

 by the microscope, can fail to in- 

 terest the student of natural science. 

 In carrying out this scheme, the 

 journal does not lose its value as a 

 scientific periodical. Apart from 

 its influence in fostering the study 

 of microscopy among amateurs, the 

 student of special branches will 

 find nmch to interest him in the 

 articles on classification, on fresh- 

 water Algae, and in the translated 

 articles which will appear from 

 time to time ; and also in the edi- 

 torial " Review." To the physician 



