Calcutta Journal of Natural History. 5 



casting as much light as circumstances will admit of on the 

 important question of coal and various other minerals. 

 There are other objects to which the mind of the botanist 

 and zoologist should in like manner be constantly alive. 

 The causes of diseases, as the Goitre, Guinea-worm, Ele- 

 phantiasis, and other complaints, which there are good rea- 

 sons for supposing depend on circumstances which come 

 within the province of the philosophic observer of nature, 

 also hold out much encouragement to hope for important 

 results, without interfering in any way with the more imme- 

 diate object of his pursuits. 



Having thus alluded to the objects to which we are to 

 devote our pages, we may observe, that although these 

 will be open to all communications calculated to improve 

 our knowledge of any fact, it will be our duty to point out 

 frankly, when necessary, our own opinions as to the manner 

 in which the subject appears to us to be treated. 



As two other scientific Journals have possession of the 

 field, perhaps a word or two on the cause of our appearance 

 maybe necessary. With the " India Review" we are not likely 

 to interfere, as the object of that work is chiefly the diffusion 

 of popular science. The other, the " Journal of the Asiatic 

 Society," is too closely identified with that institution to suffer 

 from so puny a rival, were we even ambitious enough to dis- 

 pute its claims to public favour ; our field is altogether dis- 

 tinct, and although a new one, we doubt not that the labours 

 of naturalists are sufficiently important to entitle them to a 

 separate and independent organ. Indeed it has often been 

 to us matter of surprise, that departments of science so im- 

 portant as those of Geology, Zoology, and Botany, should 



