ADVERTISEMENT. 
The wane of another year, and the last page of another volume, 
necessarily bring the Editor and his readers into a kind of personal 
contact ; in which, though the utterance of any sentiment proceeds from 
the one side alone, the object in view is to cement yet more firmly their 
mutual good understanding. 
W e assume thus advisedty that a reciprocal friendliness of feeling has 
not now to be sought after, but is already well established, and only needs 
duly maintaining ; because eleven years of Editorial experience have given 
us the fullest proof that our contributions to this class of periodical 
literature have been most favourably regarded. There cannot be a doubt 
that a work of this nature has a firm hold on the public mind, when 
its sale is kept up to so high a standard during such a number of years, 
and has even very recently been augmented. Such a state of things is, 
indeed, in the highest degree flattering. 
But while we look with considerable pleasure on these substantial 
tokens of approval, we wish them to have their legitimate influence, and 
to give a new impulse to our endeavours, instead of at all repressing 
our zeal. The right use of encouragement is to spur the aspirant onward, 
and not to lull into carelessness. And we hope to go on demonstrating 
that our gratitude is too deep and abiding to permit us to fall into the 
latter error. 
Our pictorial department has now happily reached a position which 
simply requires to be maintained. Its excellence is so universally acknow- 
