Vol. I. No. l.] ROCHESTER, HEW YORK, JUNE 1, 1881. [ 
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SALUTATORY. 
During the last, few years I have ever desired to employ some means by which I might be brought in closer and more 
intelligible relations with my clients and friends, and the general public as well. The rapid growth of my establishment 
and the continually increasing demand for explanatory correspondence concerning it render the issue of a regular news-sheet 
almost necessary as a matter of self-defense, even though its publication should be prompted by no higher motive. In view 
of this fact, I have deemed it expedient to issue a periodical which shall meet the wants of inquiring patrons, and at the 
same time contain subject matter of solid interest to the museum-builder, the naturalist, and the general reader. 
Putting entirely aside the question of expediency, I have been impressed with the belief ever since the founding of this 
Establishment, that a regular periodical account of its doings, with natural history specimens, a record of the many items of 
information concerning the more important objects arriving from day to day, and also of the items of scientific interest as 
developed in each department, would furnish reading both entertaining and instructive. Up to this date, however, a total 
lack of leisure and the pressure of imperative business upon the time at my command and the very abundance of the things 
to be done, both at the Establishment and outside, have utterly prevented my stopping to rehearse the story. Thus the 
issue of the Bulletin, proposed five years ago, has been delayed and hindered from }^ear to year, until at last, as I find 
myself starting on an eight months’ collecting tour in Australia and the East Indies, it seemed likely to be indefinitely 
postponed. 
Now some of my assistants have proposed to me to let them take the subject in hand, and themselves write and issue 
the little paper, which will be called Ward’s Natural Science Bulletin. I take pleasure in granting this request, and 
do so with entire confidence in their ability to manage the matter even better than I. At the same time I sincerely regret 
that, until I return from my intended tour abroad, I must be denied the pleasure I had anticipated in being able to address 
my clients and friends through its columns. During my absence the readers of the Bulletin will of course understand 
that I disclaim all responsibility for the writings of the contributors whenever they cease to have any bearing upon the 
regular business of the Establishment. 
As before stated, the general purpose of this paper will be to notice such points in Natural Science as are brought up by 
the transactions of the Establishment, which from the conditions of the case will be found to include something of nature 
generally, with a world-wide comprehensiveness. Besides giving the scientific gossip and chit-chat of the Establishment, of 
which there is always a great variety, the contributors will seek to interest their readers with short articles, spiced with 
valuable information, on subjects found in their special branches of scientific work. It is proposed to take the reader fairly 
behind the scenes as it were, and point out the interesting features of the work in a large commercial Natural History 
Establishment. ' J, 
Further than this, it will contain correspondence and notes from the collecting naturalists and correspondents of the 
establishment who are in foreign fields, from which an estimate may be gained of the work involved in furnishing museum 
specimens. For the benefit of those who are likely to become collectors, the Bulletin will give many valuable hints and 
directions for collecting and preserving zoological specimens. 
Without aspiring to rank high as a scientific journal, the Bulletin will occupy a field peculiarly its own, and will strive 
to interest its readers by methods comparatively new. That it shall succeed in doing so is alb we ask at present, although 
we may reasonably anticipate more than this for its future. 
Rochester, Feb. 1, 1881. 
HENRY A. WARD. 
