Our Annual Greeting. 



T T is with many apologies to our readers for the irregularities in publication of 

 Science-Gossip during the past year, that we close Volume II. of the New 

 Series. The delays in issuing some of the monthly parts have been unavoidable. 

 It would be as futile as disagreeable to make a long explanation of the delays ; 

 rather may we say that arrangements are now concluded for the rapid clearing 

 off of arrears, and the future regular issue of the journal. One result of these 

 unfortunate delays has been to find what a large and wide-spread interest is taken 

 in our magazine ; for we have had numerous enquiries from all parts of the world 

 and frequent expressions of dismay in case anything should interrupt its appearance. 



We have to thank our numerous contributors who have sent, in such variety, 

 the excellent material from which we have selected the communications that have 

 appeared in the volume now closing. May we ask for a continuance of their 

 support ? Again we have to remind them of the value of short notes. Simple 

 observations, when sent for insertion in our columns, often elicit important information 

 from others, facts being placed on record which may later be correlated by a Darwin 

 or a Huxley in some work that revolutionizes human thought. 



One of our leading biologists has recently discussed the decadence of 

 amateur naturalists, suggesting that they are being ousted by the scientific student 

 who confines his attentions to laboratory specimens. We understand from this 

 discussion that the time is approaching when the lover of nature is to be as rare 

 as the collector of specimens. With this opinion we entirely disagree. We believe 

 that those who share this theory are simply out of touch with the increasingly 

 great, but unobtrusive body who investigate natural objects in a state of nature. 

 That there is a growing tendency among amateur students of natural history to 

 follow their enquiries in a far more scientific manner than was formerly the custom, 

 most people will allow. Method in observation is the desirable faculty to cultivate, 

 and systematic investigation is now more generally conducted by amateurs than 

 many people imagine. We have made these remarks because Science-Gossip has 

 ever been the journal of the amateur. We will only add, with gratification, that 

 during the past few months, quite casually and independently, two Fellows of the 

 Royal Society occupying most important positions in the scientific world, each 

 wrote to us, " My first taste for the study of Natural Science was acquired from 

 the pages of Science-Gossip." May many of our future readers be able to say 

 the same words from similar eminence. 



JOHN T. CARRINGTON. 



