336 



To Readers and Correspondents, 



seen but in the granitic mountains separating the country of 

 Bayreuth from Bohemia. The innermost part of these cavities 

 is Hned with a very pretty moss, which reflects the hght in the 

 same manner as the eyes of a cat. So Uttle Hght reaches these 

 remote recesses, that, on looking in from without, they appear 

 quite dark ; but when viewed from a particular point, the part 

 of the rock which is covered with this moss is suddenly seen to 

 shine with a fine emerald green." 



TO READERS AND CORRESPONDENTS. 



By a curious coincidence, not arising from any pre-concert on our part, we publish in 

 this number some strictures upon an American writer on geology, from the pen of an 

 Englishman, and some strictures upon an English writer on zoology, from the pen of an 

 American. We have entitled the one, " on the causes which retard the advancement of 

 geological knowledge ;" and the other, " on the causes which retard the advancement of 

 zoological knowledge." This is the second communication we have published from our 

 valued correspondent in London; from the sources of whose accomplished mind, we hope 

 often to enrich the pages of our Journal. The able and accurate paper from our Ameri- 

 can correspondent R. S. T. we have a particular pleasure in publishing ; it will be found 

 by those who peruse it understandingly, that our correspondent has, upon this occasion, 

 well kept up the balance of our critical trade in natural history. We rejoice in being the 

 medium through which these friendly exchanges of criticism are effected. 



We have observed, in numerous instances, that selected passages from our Journal 

 have been re-published in other periodicals, with an acknowledgment of the source from 

 whence they were drawn. Although our copy-right is secured, we have not, in any of 

 these instances, taken umbrage at this practice, nor do we know that we should, where it 

 does not extend so far as to infringe upon our original right in important matters. In 

 many instances, we have, on the contrary, felt gratified at seeing our labours noticed ap- 

 provingly in other periodicals. 



But instances are at this moment before us of a different and less grateful character, 

 and we may as well notice them now, in a general manner, as at another time. If they 

 have taken place inadvertently, which we are willing to believe, we hope they will not 

 occur again. It is always our intention, and we believe has been our practice, to be just 

 to others; and therefore, when we transfer to our pages any passage from the numerous 

 periodicals we receive, we always refer in some mode or other to our authority. We oc- 

 casionally however make abstracts, for convenience sake, of interesting papers, and refer 

 at the conclusion to the title of the work containing the paper of which we have made an 

 abstract. When our cotemporaries republish such abstracts, condensed by our own la- 

 bour, and drawn from scientific works for which we pay, and do not even allude to our 

 Journal as the source from whence they have drawn them, they are not only unjust to us, 

 but do that which the law forbids. Honey to be sure is very pleasant, and perhaps none 

 the worse when it is obtained vdthout labour, but even the little bees will turn again 

 when they are robbed of it; which predicament we shall conceive ourselves to lie under, 

 if our attention should be drawn to the subject again. 



We have complied with the wishes of our correspondent A Minor, and he will find a 

 note addressed to him, according to his wishes. 



We repeat, that a number of papers are lying on our table, without signature or 

 designation of any kind ; some of which, we desire to return to their authors. Other 

 papers which have been sent to us, with particular initials from unknown writers, are 

 unnoticed at present ; because we have not had leisure to verify the rather severe criti- 

 cisms some of them contain. When well drawn up papers, with avowed names, are 

 presented to us, we have not that cause for hesitation, because the responsibility is not 

 with us for the animadversions they may contain. But anonymous criticisms of a severe 

 character, require, in our estimation, to be carefully investigated, and this supposes leisure 

 and facilities, not always at hand. That some papers of this character have not yet been 

 noticed, is not because we are afraid of stating the truth, but because we are desirous 

 of avoiding to state what may not appear to be true to all. 



