Periodical Works on Natural History. 305 
speak of is downright scandalous. Should you, Mr. Editor, 
ever attempt to treat us in this mean, pettifogging, huckster-like 
manner, you may depend upon it, you shall hear from me on 
the occasion, if I am in the land ot the living; and, if not, be- 
ware lest my troubled spirit haunt and torment you. Hither to, 
I must do you the justice to say, you have acted in a way the 
very reverse of that which I complain of; but, in the course 
of time, as the love of money is apt to increase with the ac- 
quisition, there is no knowing but you may grow covetous, 
grasping, and insolent; ther efor e, I warn you beforehand 
fo contin on your ¢ good behaviour. Of this crying abuse I 
must proceed, even at the risk of being thought teclious; to 
give a few particular examples. One editor has the effrontery 
to print, in rather conspicuous characters, on the cover of his 
Reg * * * * * —his work, I mean, for I am not going to name 
the book — “ No. XII. of Volume XIV .» price four shillings, 
coloured ; with AN APPENDIX, price one shilling.” On receiv- 
ing my copy, I could find nothing like an Appendix, unless it 
were the titlepage and index, which I am not accustomed to 
hear called by that name; and it occurred to me that this 
appendix might possibly be, like the postscript of a lady’s let- 
ter, the most pithy and important part of the whole. Con- 
cluding, therefore, that my copy was imperfect, I ordered the 
bookseller to procure for me the appendix. No such thing, 
however, was forthcoming; and I was informed that the 
** appendix ” meant the titlepage and index, occupy ing Just 
two pages octavo, price one shilling! Will the editor main- 
tain that he is guilty of no misnomer here; but that he is 
strictly correct, according to the etymology of the worc ee 
pendix,’? Lie. something ‘appended or added on to another ? 
If so, he should be told that ** the meaning of a word is what 
it signifies;”? and that the word ‘ appendix” does not, in 
common English, signify titlepage and index. Another gen- 
tleman has he face ‘unblushingly to send forth his titlepage, 
dedication, preface, list of books referred to, and index, 
stitched up in a cover by themselves, with all the self-import- 
ance of a regular number of the work, price 2s. 6d. !— half a 
crown sterling !— more than two thirds of the price of one 
of your Magazines! Think of that, Mr. Editor! Two shil- 
lings and sixpence lawful money of the realm for a plain, 
anadomed typographical titlepage, dedication, preface, list 
of books merneal to, and index (2ndices I ought to say, for 
there are two), the whole comprised in eight | pages octavo ! 
Is it enough for these gentlemen to say, * We never engaged 
to give you a titlepage ‘and index without paying for them? 2” 
True ; they never did: but I ask whether any one purchaser, 
