PREFACE. 



only be effectually improved by the united observations of 

 great numbers widely dispersed : — Meteorology*, one of the 

 most complicated but important branches of science, i's» at the 

 same time one in which any person who will attend to plain 

 rules, and bestow the necessary degree of attention, may do 

 effectual service. What benefits has not Geology reaped 

 from the activity of industrious individuals, who, setting aside 

 all theoretical views, have been content to exercise the useful 

 and highly entertaining occupation of collecting specimens 

 from the countries which they visit ? In short, there is no 

 branch of science whatever, in which, at least, if useful and 

 sensible queries were distinctly proposed, an immense mass 

 of valuable information might not be collected from those 

 who, in their various lines of life, at home or abroad, station- 

 ary or in travel, would gladly avail themselves of opportunities 

 of being useful. Nothing would tend better to attain this 

 end than the circulation of printed skeleton forms, on various 

 subjects, which should be so formed as, 1st, to ask distinct 

 and pertinent questions, admitting of short and definite an- 

 swers ; 2dly, To call for exact numerical statements on all 

 principal points ; 3dly, To point out the attendant circum- 

 stances most likely to prove influential, and which ought to 

 be observed ; 4thly, To call for their transmission to a 

 common centre."* 



Students in the various departments of knowledge through- 

 out this part of India, are invited to make the Madras Jour- 

 nal this " common centre." It will be the Editor's duty, 

 as occasion offers, to point out desiderata, and to present to 

 his readers such rules for the guidance of the uninitiated as 

 may be useful. With this view Sir John Herschel's direc- 

 tions for prosecuting the science of Meteorology, and the 

 instructions of John Hunter for procuring and preserving 

 specimens of Zoology, have been introduced into the four- 

 teenth number. 



* Herschel's Preliminary Discourse on the study of Natural Philo- 

 sophy, p. 133 0 



