©he gmmg Naturalist: 



A Penny Weekly Magazine of Natural History. 



No. 1 



NOVEMBER 1st, 1879. 



Vol. 1. 



ADDRESS. 



SVt, N commencing an undertaking of this 

 kind, it is customary at the outset 

 to state the desires and intentions of 

 the promoters, that the public may under- 

 stand what it is to which their support is 

 solicited. 



Our desire then, is to cultivate a taste 

 for Natural History among the young. 

 "When lads get too big for the games of 

 boyhood, it becomes exceedingly difficult 

 to find an occupation that will interest 

 them, and take up their leisure time, with- 

 out exercising a more or less deleterious 

 influence over their future life. There are 

 but few out door pursuits that are con- 

 sidered " manly " enough for young men 

 to indulge in. Fishing, shooting, boating 

 Or cricket are the principal out door amuse- 

 ments that are offered to our rising youth, 

 and in many places scarcely any of these 

 are within reach. The bicycle has recently 

 'accjuired popularity, but it is a costly 

 toy. Billiards, cards, the theatre, or the 

 concert hall seem to be the chief attractions 

 for indoor occupation, and along with these 

 come tavern frequenting, drinking, gaming 

 and bad company. Many a young man 

 can date his ruin from the day he was first 



induced to join a billiard club or enter a 

 tavern. For young ladies, with country 

 residences, there are a few amusements 

 offered ; but for those a little lower in the 

 social scale, there is really nothing of the 

 sort, and to take a purposeless ramble is 

 perhaps the best they can do. Natural 

 History oft'ers a pursuit that is not only 

 attractive in itself, but tends more than 

 most things to enlarge and improve the 

 mind. It leads to healthful out door work 

 during summer, and to pleasant and profit- 

 able home study during the winter. No 

 headache, shaking hand or empty pocket 

 results from it, and it may be safely held 

 out to young men as a most fascinating 

 amusement in the first place, and a most 

 interesting study for those who are disposed 

 to go below the surface and give a little 

 thought to it. 



The collection of butterflies, moths, 

 beetles, birds and their eggs, shells, dried 

 plants, fossils, &c, &c, serves to beguile the 

 leisure of many a score of those who seek 

 for pleasure of a higher class than can be 

 found in the drinking; bar or the concert 



hall. 



We wish to foster and encourage 



the taste for such pursuits, and we will 

 endeavour to make our Magazine, not so 

 scientific as to frighten or discourage the 



