P R E F A C E 



Another volume of the ' Zoologist' is complete, — a volume filled 

 with more and with better matter than any which have preceded it. 

 Bulky, however, though it be, it contains no notices of books, no 

 original papers of my own (at least none to occupy space), and 

 scarcely one-half of the original communications which have been 

 sent to me for publication. A portion of the arrears may yet be 

 available, but the principal papers have been returned to the 

 respective writers, and have appeared in journals less popular than 

 my own. It is a most ungracious task to make the necessary 

 selection, but in every instance I have been guided solely by the 

 desire to publish what I believed would be most acceptable to my 

 readers ; and I trust that the authors of papers I have declined will 

 give me credit for that species of worldly w r isdom which acts from 

 interested motives, and the obvious interest of a journalist is, by 

 every means in his power, to extend the circulation and the popu- 

 larity of his journal. 



Although I hold that an Editor is in no way committed to the 

 opinions or expressions of his contributors, yet 1 feel it most unde- 

 sirable that any communication offensive to a single reader should be 

 allowed to pass unnoticed ; and I regret to say that such a paper has 

 appeared : I allude to that by Dr. Knox on the present state and 

 future prospects of Zoology. The theme is an excellent one, replete 

 with opportunities for diffusing instruction ; but the learned author 

 has mixed with much that is valuable, sentiments and expressions 

 which have caused infinite pain, not to myself alone, but to some of 



