VI PREFACE. 



Kingdom, and is well known to most of our readers. I have now 

 the pleasing task of announcing a new candidate for favour, em- 

 bracing the only department in Natural History which has hitherto 

 been without its acknowledged organ of communication with the 

 public ; I allude to the ' London Geological Journal,' the first number 

 of which has just issued from the press, and which for the value 

 of its contents, and beauty of its illustrations, is unrivalled by any 

 scientific periodical in existence. It was an idea of my own to 

 separate the three branches of Natural History, and to assign its 

 organ to each, under the names of ' Zoologist,' ' Phytologist,' 

 and c Geologist.' It rarely happens that the same individual cul- 

 tivates with any zeal, more than one of these sciences; hence, 

 the purchasers of either of the numerous magazines of Natural 

 History paid two-thirds of their subscription exclusively for the 

 benefit of others. This of itself is a reason why the various 

 Natural History magazines have been unsuccessful, and of all 

 those which commenced with a large share of public patronage, 

 one only exists; and that one is largely occupied by translations 

 of continental essays and reprints of the proceedings of Societies, 

 the first of no present interest, and the last regularly supplied to 

 us in a cheaper and more useful form. 



The love of Zoology appears to be making considerable progress 

 in this country. A more extended and a better taste exists than 

 at any previous period. We are emerging from the dark age, 

 when mere technicality passed for science, mere sophistry for phi- 

 losophy. We now find an increasing taste for the living being, 

 a decreasing taste for the dried fragments : we view the latter as 

 valuable only in proportion as it informs us of the former. The 

 pages of the ' Zoologist ' afford the best possible illustration of 

 these observations. 



The Itay Society, projected three years ago, for the publication 

 of " original works in Zoology, Botany," &c, &c, flags for want 

 of works to publish. Jt has given to the subscribers a portion 



