P ]l E F A C E 
As the snowball gathers weight and size in its rolling, so from the 
first hour I took charge of The " Geologist" has it incessantly- 
gathered streng-th in rolling on, until now it stands, if my information 
be correct, unrivalled in circulation by any British scientific periodical. 
I may be permitted some gratification in this result ; and this 
feeling of pride is enhanced by the knowledge that of two previous 
attempts by others, one failed to accomplish a seventh number, and 
the other died at the third, although aided by liberal donations of 
plates and absolute gifts of money. 
The unvaried success, continued uninterruptedly to the present 
hour, augurs well and, to me, hopefully for the future. I trust my 
readers will support me by endeavouring to extend still more the 
circulation of the magazine, and thus to supply the necessary 
" sinews of war" for its further improvement and enlargement. 
My fire burns brightly in the grate ; the wind gently whistles at 
my window ; the moon tips the ripples of the pond in my garden 
with pearls of silvery light ; the aii" is just keen. By-and-bye the 
bright coals will bm-n blue between the flaring flames of the Yule 
log ; old Boreas will lustily howl his hurricane ; the pale moon will 
wanly illuminate the sniooth-sui'faccd ice : and skaters will blow 
