IV PREFACE. 



privately to the Editor, who will not make the same known without 

 their consent. It is hoped that in this way much information of 

 general interest may be elicited during the year. 



The Editor would also he glad to receive for insertion, under the 

 same heading, any items of news which are likely to be of interest to 

 naturalists ; such, for instance, as reports of successful collecting tours 

 both at home and abroad, with brief summary of the results ; the 

 building or endowment of new museums ; the announcement of com- 

 pleted or forthcoming works on Zoology ; the dates of projected field 

 meetings of local Natural History Societies, and so forth. Such 

 topics, it is believed, would be especially acceptable to country readers, 

 who, from the fact of their inability to attend the conversaziones of 

 the Scientific Societies in London are precluded from hearing the 

 zoological news which is verbally circulated at such meetings. 



There is yet another novelty for the New Year. Hitherto this 

 journal has dealt almost exclusively with " the zoology of the present." 

 Now "the zoology of the past" has many charms, and to all reflecting 

 minds the two subjects, although in a sense distinct, are intimately 

 connected ; an accurate knowledge of the past helping us to a better 

 understanding of the present. The "archaeology of zoology," as it 

 may be termed, is a subject which may well be cultivated, and the 

 Editor would be glad to see, under the heading " Arclneologia," the 

 discussion of such items as discoveries of fossil remains ; early notices 

 of British animals ; titles and editions of scarce and local Faunas, or 

 overlooked works containing zoological notes of value ; discoveries of 

 authorship of original statements hitherto quoted without a reference ; 

 etymologies ; and folk-lore relating to animals. 



All these subjects have a value of their own, and would, if 

 discussed, give a greater fulness and variety to the pages of ' The 

 Zoologist,' which, it is believed, many would be glad to see. 



Any suggestion on this head from correspondents will be welcome, 

 and shall receive full consideration. 



With regard to the projected General Index to ' The Zoologist,' 

 its utility seems to be universally admitted, but at present the number 

 of copies subscribed for does not justify its preparation. At least 200 

 copies at £1 should be ordered in advance before the work can be 

 commenced ; and the Editor would therefore urge upon all working 

 naturalists, for their own sake, the extreme desirability of forwarding 

 to Messrs. West, Newman & Co., as soon as possible, an expression of 

 their willingness to take copies. 



