Wood's Naturalist. 54-3 



limits, the more diversified the contents of a scientific journal 

 are made, and the wider the range of objects which it em- 

 braces, the more extended may be its sphere of usefulness. 

 A general combination of forces would be most desirable, 

 if editors, contributors, and subscribers would all pull one 

 way ; but the difficulties of bringing about such an arrange- 

 ment are probably insuperable. 



Whatever course may be adopted by the conductors of 

 the Magazine of Zoology and Botany, we shall always feel 

 pleasure in bearing testimony to the value and interest of the 

 matter contained in the pages of that work ; and we think 

 the cultivators of science in this country owe a debt of grati- 

 tude to the parties by whom it was established. We are at 

 a loss to understand the object in issuing two numbers on 

 the last publication ; since some of the contributions appear 

 to us of an inferior nature, and double numbers are not very 

 popular with either booksellers or subscribers. We intended 

 to have noticed the uncalled-for cut at Miss Mary Roberts in 

 No. IX., and the severe strictures upon Mr. Swainson, which, 

 if contrasted with previous opinions, look passing strange ; 

 but we may say a word on this hereafter. 



Naturalist. — There is an old and well-known adage, that 

 " honesty is the best policy ; " the truth of which, if it re- 

 quired confirmation, might be seen in the miserable failure 

 of the Naturalist in its attempt to supplant the Magazine of 

 Natural History, without being over and above scrupulous as 

 to the means by which this object was to be attained. Not- 

 withstanding the numerous lies which have emanated from 

 the parties connected with this periodical, they have neither 

 succeeded in gulling the public with their false represent- 

 ations, or in injuring the sale of Mr. Loudon's Magazine, as 

 the increase both in the number and value of the com- 

 munications sent to us amply testifies. 



Mr. Groombridge, hitherto the publisher, being unable to 

 obtain a sale for the work, it has been handed over to Whit- 

 taker and Co.: and we think it highly creditable to this 

 house, that they have refused to insert the abominable false- 

 hood relative to the sale, which has latterly appeared monthly 

 upon the cover; "a mischievous violation of truth," for the 

 sake of obtaining a few paltry shillings in the way of ad- 

 vertisements, and that, too, under the sanction of a Rev. 

 individual, who, for reasons unconnected with his sacred 

 office, ought to have shrunk from participating in anything 

 bearing even the semblance of falsehood and deception.* 



* See Mr. Morris's accusation of Mr. Waterton, Mag. Nat. Hist., 

 Vol. IX. p. 434. 



R R 4 



