336 



THE AMERICAN MONTHLY 



[December, i 



NAL is assured. We liave great 

 reason to feel satisfied with the re- 

 sult of our first year's experiment. 

 The Journal was started at a time 

 when business was dull, and when 

 it could not be expected that the 

 public would respond liberally to 

 our Prospectus. No sooner had 

 our definite announcement ap- 

 peared that the Joltenal would be 

 published than the price of paper 

 began to advance, and this increase 

 continued until it materially af- 

 fected the cost of even our small 

 publication. Later, to the aston- 

 ishment of microscopists generally, 

 the American Journal ^ Micros- 

 copy and Popular Science again 

 appeared upon the field. It was 

 generally supposed that that peri- 

 odical had gone the way of all the 

 former publications of the redoubt- 

 able Mr. John Phin, alias "The 

 Handicraft Publication Co.," alias 

 "The Industrial Publication Co." 

 However, the above mentioned 

 periodical did see the light once 

 more ; and after partly fulfilling 

 the obligations of 1879, the num- 

 bers for 1880 have been issued 

 with most remarkable regularity — 

 considering. 



It was thought by many that the 

 revival of that paper would greatly 

 influence the circulation of this 

 one, and while we have no doubt 

 that it did affect us somewhat, the 

 result clearly shows that this Jour- 

 nal is fully capable of maintaining 

 itself against any opposition from 

 the older one. 



We still believe what we have 

 thought from the beginning, that 

 two periodicals devoted to micros- 

 copy cannot exist together in this 

 country and both pay expenses. 

 This Journal during the year 1880 

 has paid its own expenses. It has 

 done so independently of the busi- 

 ness which it has brought to the 

 Editor through his own advertise- 



ments. Hence, it cannot be said 

 that it is published as an advertis- 

 ing medium. It is in no sense 

 such a publication. Its principal 

 value to the proprietor, as well as 

 to the subscribers, is as a newspa- 

 per ; when it fails to satisfy the de- 

 mands of its readers in that respect, 

 it will necessarily cease to be pub- 

 lished. The limited business which 

 it brings to the publisher as an ad- 

 vertising medium would by no 

 means pay for its publication. 



We are assured of success in 

 future by the encouragement re- 

 ceived this year, but still more by 

 the confidence which we have al- 

 ways felt that any business that is 

 conducted honorably, carefully and 

 systematically, will ultimately suc- 

 ceed. 



For information about the Jour- 

 nal for next year, the reader is re- 

 ferred to the announcement pub- 

 lished elsewhere. 



We have to extend our hearty 

 thanks to subscribers for their lib- 

 eral support during the first year, 

 to contributors for their valued arti- 

 cles, and to dealers in optical 

 goods for their great liberality in 

 advertising. 



The Infusoria. 



The Manual of the Infusoria, by 

 Saville Kent, which was i-eferred 

 to last month, is destined to rank 

 among the most valuable contribu- 

 tions to this department of study 

 that has yet been published. 

 Pritchard's work, which up to this 

 time, has been the standard of 

 reference, is now far behind the 

 time, and it is rarely that a copy 

 can be obtained. Stein's great 

 work, three parts of which are 

 issued, will always be a monument 

 to the industry and ability of its 

 author, will not be so useful to the 

 general microscopist because of its 



