544 Wood's Naturalist. 



We do not know which stands forward in the more promi- 

 nent light, the folly, or impudence, of both editors and pro- 

 prietors, in supposing that cultivators of natural history are 

 such flats as to throw away their money in the purchase of a 

 trashy periodical because solicited to do so by the author of 

 British So?ig Birds, in the following manner : — 



" Sir, — We beg to introduce to your notice ' The Analyst,' 

 and ' The Naturalist ; ' the only Periodicals, so far as we are 

 aware, printed and edited in the country. We should feel 

 honoured by your becoming a Subscriber to them ; and shall 

 at all times be happy to receive Communications for their 

 pages from yourself or your friends. Of the Analyst, No. 

 XXI. will appear Oct. 1. 1837; of the Naturalist, No. XII. 

 will be published Sept. 1. 1837; and any of the back Nos. 

 may be had, by order, of all booksellers. — We are, Sir, 

 your obedient servants, William Hall and Neville Wood." 



The above circular is a specimen of the way in which, we 

 understand; several individuals, eminent as naturalists, are 

 being dunned ; parties, too, who are not at all ambitious of 

 having the credit of extending their patronage to either of the 

 two periodicals thus politely " introduced to their notice." 

 There is one circumstance which, we own, gives us some sur- 

 prise; and that is, that Mr. Maund, the editor of two ex- 

 tremely useful botanical publications, the Botanic Garden and 

 Botanist, and whom we believe to be a gentleman of most 

 honourable feeling and integrity of purpose, should permit 

 his name to be in any way associated with the firm of 

 " Orpen Morris, Neville Wood, & Co." 



In thus freely expressing our opinion of the line of pro- 

 ceeding adopted by a contemporary periodical, we entirely 

 disclaim all feeling of opposition, on the ground of its being a 

 rival publication. 



It must be evident to every one, from the condition of the 

 Naturalist, both as regards its reception up to the present 

 time, and future prospects, that it is utterly out of its power 

 to injure the Magazine of Natural History ; and, even had it 

 accomplished its object of benefiting at our expense, pro- 

 vided that end had been attained through fair and honourable 

 means, by bringing before the public matter of more general in- 

 terest, or of greater scientific value, we should not for a moment 

 have regarded the possible diminution of our circulation, but 

 have felt just the same readiness to render justice to its merits as 

 we did to the Magazine of Zoology and Botany when com- 

 mencing the first number of the present series.* 



* We have desisted from entering into any details respecting cither the 

 public or private misrepresentation of the parties who have been attempting 



