65 

 NOTES AND COM/VIENTS. 



NATURAL HISTORY MAGAZINES. 



Since the first number of the ' Naturalist ' was issued, over 

 three quarters of a century ago, it has seen the birth and death 

 of some scores of natural history niag-azines. Some of these 

 were of a most useful character, and their death is a loss in- 

 deed. Others are as well dead, and their loss would only be 

 felt by those who were financially responsible for their pro- 

 duction. During- the past few months we have chronicled the 

 decease of several publications ; some really well produced, 

 edited by most competent naturalists, and supported by a 

 number of influential men. Still they were not successful. 

 We have reason to believe that other magazines will shortly 

 be sharing the same fate. In view of this, how can it be 

 expected that a new magazine, covering the same ground, 

 can flourish, without it has some exceptionally good features. 



STILL ANOTHER NEW MAGAZINE. 



Yet we have before us the first part of ' The Naturalist's 

 Quarterly Review,' printed by Mr. Davis, published by Mr. 

 Davis, and edited by Mr. Davis. From the number of Davis' 

 advertisements in the magazine we should assume, and probably 

 correctly, that the new magazine is a publisher's venture — a 

 cheap way of advertising one's natural history requisites and 

 books, and is not intended to be a serious scientific contribution. 

 By far the longest article is by Mr. VV. P. Westell, who re- 

 fers to the enormous number of books that have recently 

 ' passed through ' his hands, and proposes each quarter to 

 give 'notes upon those volumes which reach him,'' presumably 

 for the benefit of the reader of the magazine, though from 

 the ridiculously indiscriminate praise which he showers upon 

 the thirty odd volumes he ' reviews ' (many of which are 

 certainly not worth it) there is just a suspicion that Mr. 

 Westell may have some other motive than benefitting his 

 readers. Certainly the notices cannot be looked upon as a 

 guide to the naturalist requiring books. Then follows some 

 more book notices, presumably by the editor, Mr. Davis, with 

 a very favourable notice of one of Mr. Westell's books — a work 

 which has not had the unanimous approval of the ornithological 

 press. A note informs us that any of the books reviewed 'can be 

 supplied by the publishers of the magazine at the published 



1906 March i. 



