Introductory Remarks, 3 



been established, professedly deriving their materials princi- 

 pally from foreign sources ; that our various literary Maga- 

 zines and Reviews have given, and continue to give, some 

 notices of physical and mathematical subjects, and that some of 

 them seem even partial to these branches of knowledge : that 

 various limited efforts have been made, and are still making, 

 to publish occasional or periodical papers, devoted to mathe- 

 matical or physical subjects, and that even our newspapers 

 sometimes contain scientific intelligence. We are aware, also, 

 that some of our academies and societies of natural history, 

 either in Journals of their own, or through the medium of 

 existing magazines, communicate to the public the efforts of 

 their members in various branches of natural science. 



But all these facts go only to prove the strong tendency 

 which exists in this country towards the cultivation of physical 

 science, and the inadequacy of the existing means for its 

 effectual promulgation. 



Although our limits do not permit us, however much in^ 

 clined, to be more particular in commemorating the labours 

 and in honouring the performances (often marked by much 

 ability) of our predecessors and cotemporaries, there is one 

 effort which we are not willing to pass by without a more par- 

 ticular notice ; and we are persuaded that no apology is neces- 

 sary for naming the Journal of the late Dr. Bruce, of New- 

 York, devoted principally to mineralogy and geology. 



No future historian of American science will fail to com- 

 memorate this work as our earliest purely scientific Journal, 

 supported by original American communications. 



Both in this country and in Europe, it was received in a very 

 flattering manner ; it excited, at home, great zeal and effort in 

 support of the sciences which it fostered, and, abroad, it was 

 hailed as the harbinger of our future exertions. The editor 

 was honoured with letters on the subject of his Journal, and 

 with applications for it from most of the countries in Europe ; 

 but its friends had to regret that, although conducted in a man- 

 ner perfectly to their satisfaction, it appeared only at distant 

 intervals, and, after the lapse of several years, never pro-» 

 ceeded beyond the fourth number. 



