SELBORNE SOCIETY AND ITS MAGAZINE. 5 
be much stronger, for we hops to have the assistance of all the 
contributors who have been mentioned above, and in addition 
we have been promised articles by several new writers. 
Among the objects which we have set before us, a special 
one is to secure more than hitherto the adhesion of the clergy 
•as supporters of the Society and advocates of its principles. Many 
of them are among our best friends already, but we fain would 
have the number of clerical Selbornians increased. There ought 
to be at least one in every country parish ; where there is an 
assistant-curate, a brace. We have often been reminded by 
laymen how comparatively seldom the love of animals and the 
study of nature are spoken of in our pulpits and our schools. 
We hope to return to this subject more than once ; to give 
instructions for starting Selborne work as a part of parochial 
organisation, and for teaching the elements of botany and 
zoology in national schools in the manner practised by the late 
Prof. J. S. Henslow and his son, Prof. George Henslow, who so 
frequently contributes to our pages. The Bishop of Wakefield 
has promised, if he can find time, to commend such teaching in 
Nature Notes. We are sure there is no one whose example 
or opinion would have more weight with the clergy all over the 
land. 
In the department of Botany, Bishop Mitchinson has promised 
a series of papers on the interesting subject of the distribution 
of rare plants in the British Isles, founded upon his own obser- 
vations, while on the physiological side Prof. Henslow, Mr. 
T. D. A. Cockerell and others will discuss the qucestio vexata of 
the influence of environment upon plants. 
In Ornithology, we have ready two series of articles which 
can hardly fail to interest all lovers of birds. Mr. Aubrey 
Edwards will contribute a remarkable monograph on the 
Orleton Swifts, in the form of letters addressed to Lord 
Selborne, which has already in MS. been highly'- approved by 
some of the best British naturalists ; while Mr. A. H. Macpher- 
son will give a Bird Fauna of Hyde Park, compiled from 
personal observation, which we hope will be as welcome to 
London naturalists as the admirable Flora of the same district 
of which Lord de Tabley is the author. 
Of the papers on Museums promised to our readers, those on 
the Natural History Museum at South Kensington will be either 
written or revised by members of the staff ; those on the 
Kew Museums will be contributed by the Curator, Mr. J. R. 
Jackson, A.L.S. A series of articles on “Home Museums” 
is being prepared by Mrs. Brightwen, who has already dealt 
with the subject in one of her books. 
A series of papers upon the rural spots in the neighbourhood 
of London which are in most danger from devastation by the 
builder or annexation by the encloser, will be supplied by Mr. 
Archibald Clarke, from whom we have received important com- 
munications in similar cases before. 
