THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



19 



helpers at once. We do not know the details 

 of the arrangements, but we have seen a 

 list of the secretaries of the various clubs in 

 question, and understand there were over a 

 thousand of them. If each of these had 

 half-a-dozen members, it would not be pos- 

 sible but that there would in such a number, 

 be some who had a genuine taste for 

 Natural History, and others with a desire 

 to see themselves in print. With all the 

 enthusiasm of youth, they established in vari- 

 ous places Magazines which were to be the 

 organs of their own field clubs in particular, 

 and of the world of natural science in 

 general. Some of these magazines were 

 lithographed ; that is, the editor wrote out 

 on transfer paper the whole of the contents 

 of the magazine ; illustrations were drawn 

 in the same way, and after transference to 

 the stone, the magazines'were printed from 

 this manuscript. Considering all things 

 some of these productions were really credit- 

 able to their promoters. Other clubs or 

 editors were ambitious ; or, perhaps, having 

 more cash to spare, had their magazines 

 printed, and v/hatever faults there were, 

 necessarily became more conspicuous in 

 consequence. There was not much in any 

 of them that was new, perhaps nothing.; 

 but it probably was all new to their readers, 

 and the errors of fact were not otten serious. 

 But field clubs or any other societies started 

 in such a way, were not likely to have any 

 permanent existence, still we have no doubt 

 that many of their members will continue 

 to pursue Natural History studies, and, 

 however far they may advance in the science, 

 they will still look back with pleasure to the 

 days, when with all the eagerness of lads 

 engaging in a new game, they made their 

 first capture under the auspices of their 

 particular field club, and wearing its 

 conspicuous badge and magic letters. 

 Of the various magazines this " mania " has 

 called into existence we would desire to 

 speak with all due consideration. Most of 



them were undertaken by persons who 

 knew little or nothing of natural history, 

 and it could not be expected they would be 

 able to teach what they had not learnt 

 themselves. But they may have done good 

 work for all that, for they would be eagerly 

 read by all interested in their promotion, 

 while the contents of magazines of more 

 pretence were probably too far in advance 

 for the readers in question. Still there are 

 " curiosities " even in natural history litera- 

 ture, and those who get a little behind the 

 scenes may well wonder how things are 

 managed. The "editor" of one of these 

 magazines was described by his school- 

 master, as being the most unlikely boy in 

 the entire school to take any interest in 

 natural history. In another case we re- 

 ceived a letter signed by nearly a dozen of 

 the " editor's" most intimate acquaintances 

 testifying to his utter incapability. These 

 are the sort of things which, as Lord Dun- 

 dreary said, "no fellow can understand." 

 A somewhat similar occurrence took place 

 nearly twenty years ago when stamp collec- 

 ting became the rage. Every boy in an 

 ofiSce that had foreign correspondents, com- 

 menced business as a " stamp merchant," 

 issued a catalogue of prices, and very many 

 of them issued a monthly magazine. But 

 many a lad learned more geography from 

 his stamp album than ever he learned at 

 school ; knew more of dynastic succession 

 and of political boundaries than most of 

 people not also stamp collectors ; would 

 have recognised from their portraits on the 

 stamps, more of the reigning monarchs of 

 the world than the most experienced. 

 attache. So now in the rage for Natural 

 History there has been among lads, we 

 have no doubt whatever but good results 

 will obtain. For the magazines themselves, 

 we rather fear some of them must succumb 

 to circumstances. Editors may do their 

 best, and their best may be really good with- 

 out reaching that public ear whose attention 



