THE 



CALCUTTA JOURNAL 



OP 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



" Warum ich zuletzt am liebsten mit der Natur verkehre, ist, weil sie immer Recht hat und 

 der Irrthum bloss auf meiner Seite seyn kann. Verhandle ich hingegen mit Menschen, so irren 

 sie, dann ich, auch sie wieder, und immer so fort, da kommt nichts aufs Reine ; weiss ich mich 

 erst aber in die Natur zu schicken, so ist alles gethan." — G o e th e. 



" Why I after all prefer dealing with nature, is, because she is invariably in the right, and the 

 wrong must needs be on my side. When I on the contrary deal with men, then they are in the 

 wrong, then I myself, then they again, and so on continually, and it comes to nothing after all ; 

 have I however once found out the ways of nature, then all is right." 



The usual apology for being without a periodical in the 

 metropolis of British India exclusively devoted to objects of 

 science is, that it would not pay. This may be the reason, 

 the only reason, why we have not long since had several 

 philosophical publications in Calcutta, eclipsing those of 

 Edinburgh, London, and other European Capitals. With- 

 out insinuating the existence of any more immediate cause 

 for the above defect in our periodical literature, we must be 

 permitted for the honor of the City of Palaces to doubt the 

 accuracy of the one assigned, as nowhere are persons more 

 liberal with their money on all public occasions, when interests 

 of far less moment are at stake than those of science. 



VOL. I. NO. I. APRIL, 1840. b 



