4 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
by afriend. About ten years since an Annelid of very remarkable 
character—Dutrochet’s Land-leach (Trochetia subviridis), of which 
only two examples had previously been observed in England, and 
those under circumstances which led to the suspicion of its being 
an introduced species *—was found to be abundant in a particular 
locality. The finder was urged to publish the fact in ‘THE 
Zoouoaist, as the most appropriate means of making it known 
to naturalists, but he could not be persuaded to do so, from the 
notion, ill-grounded as it might be, that notices therein printed 
generally had their origin in the personal vanity of the writers ; 
and hence the details of this interesting discovery have never 
yet been fully given to the world. Many of the best field- 
naturalists shrink from giving their observations publicity, 
partly that they may not incur the shadow of a charge of 
personal vanity, and partly through an opinion of self-respect, 
which hinders them from placing their own discoveries on a 
level with those of men against whom such a charge could be 
not unfairly brought. 
These remarks I venture to make now; it would be impossible 
for me to make them later, for they might be wrongly applied by 
some of my readers to communications that will have appeared 
in the meantime. At the outset of my editorial career, however, 
they may be taken not amiss. 
In conclusion, I need only say that my best efforts shall be 
devoted to the advancement of the study which all zoologists 
have at heart, and, with the assistance of my contributors, 
I doubt not that that advancement will be real. 
* See Dr. Murie in the ‘ Proceedings of the Zoological Society,’ 1865, pp. 659—662. 
