ON THE

ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW MAGAZINE

OF

NATURAL HISTORY.

It is with no small pleasure that we inform our readers that in all probability a magazine devoted to Natural History will shortly be commenced. It must be obvious to every one that such has long been a desideratum in the English language. For although we have Loudon's Magazine of Natural History, and the Zoological Journal,* yet neither of these are sufficiently comprehensive to suit the present state of the science:-the one treating entirely of habits, and the other as exclusively of classification, nomenclature, &c. Now we should wish in the forthcoming periodical to see every department of the science equally attended to, as there can be no doubt but that this is essential to the progress of Natural History.

It is certainly a great disgrace to Britain that only two periodicals on this interesting and useful study are in existence in the whole kingdom, when our continental brethren possess so many. We

look forward to the time when Britain shall be able to boast of one or more periodicals devoted to

This work has since been discontinued.

each department, but we fear that such would at present scarcely answer. We therefore hail with delight the appearance of a new magazine devoted to the whole of Zoology, and heartily wish that it may succeed, and that the lovers of Nature will not suffer it to languish and perish.

The periodical is, we understand, to be entitled the "Naturalist's Miscellany." It will be devoted chiefly to Mammalogy, Ornithology, Entomology, Ichthyology, Erpetology and Conchology, but the Editor informs us that communications relating to other departments of the science will also be acceptable. It is shortly to commence, and will be continued monthly, at a moderate price.

In this journal, we are further informed that classification and habits of animals will be equally attended to. We should moreover wish to see complete histories of species wherever this is practicable: the synonyms should also be added. We are, however, by no means desirous of discarding the short communications, as these are far from being the least interesting and useful feature of a magazine of Natural History.

It is also to be hoped that the Naturalist's Miscellany will present far more satisfactory reviews of new works than Loudon is accustomed to give. Such reviews as appear in the Magazine of Natural History are certainly worse than nothing, and would be far better omitted, with the exception, however, of those occasionally furnished by correspondents.

We think that if all the readers of Loudon's magazine-which is excellent as farit goes-would also become subscribers to the Naturalist's Miscellany, the success of the periodical would be certain, and we should thus ensure to ourselves what has certainly long been a desideratum in Britain. It is well known to most of our readers that Lou

don is quite overstocked with communications, and that two or three years frequently elapse before they can be inserted. If therefore some of the correspondents of the Magazine of Natural History would lend their services to the Naturalist's Miscellany, they would be advancing the interests of the science, while they obtained an early insertion for their valuable contributions.-If, in fine, this periodical is well conducted, and above all well supported by its subscribers, it will certainly do more for the advancement of the science, than any magazine which has yet appeared in the English language.