The Zoologist

The Zoologist was a monthly natural history magazine established in 1843 by Edward Newman and published in London. Newman acted as editor in chief until his death in 1876, when he was succeeded, first by James Edmund Harting (1876–1896), and later by William Lucas Distant (1897–1916). Originating from an enlargement of The Entomologist, The Zoologist described itself as "an illustrated monthly magazine of natural history", but also as a "journal for recording facts & anecdotes relating to quadrupeds, birds, reptiles, fishes, annelides, insects, worms, zoophytes, &c." and it aimed at describing "their habits, food, retreats, occasional appearance, migrations, nests and young." It contained long articles, short notes, comments on current events, and book reviews covering the entire Animal Kingdom throughout the world, until The Entomologist was separated again in 1864. Initially, half of the space was devoted to birds, rising to two thirds later. In 1916 The Zoologist was amalgamated with British Birds.

The Zoologist was one of the projects of the "entepreneurial scientific printer and publisher" Edward Newman. He was an entomologist with a wide network of contacts with other naturalists, and one of the founders of the Entomological Society of London in 1833. Apart from being a printer and publisher, he also published himself on a wide range of subjects. The idea behind The Zoologist was, rather than (only) publishing articles by experts, to rely on its readers to furnish it with material. Apart from the commercial aspect, this was also a demonstration of an early belief in the power of citizen science by its founder. Newman was strongly inspired by the 18th century parson naturalist Gilbert White, who wrote The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, published in 1789, and reprinted hundreds of times since. Newman can be characterised as a typical representative of the English popular science periodical editor of the nineteenth century. He had already contributed to the Magazine of Natural History; he edited and printed the Entomological Magazine from 1832 to 1836, and then the Entomologist from 1840 to 1842. In 1889, James Edmund Harting, who was then the editor of The Zoologist, wrote an extensive memorial (of nearly twenty two pages) for Frederick Bond. In this text he reminded that Bond was "one of those who—with the brothers Doubleday, Thomas Bell, William Borrer, Bree, Couch, W. B. Fisher, J. H. Gurney, Hewitson, Waring Kidd, A. E. Knox, Bodd, Salmon, Frederick Smith, William Thompson, and Yarrell ( )—helped the late Edward Newman to found" The Zoologist.

The first editor of The Zoologist was Edward Newman. He died in 1876. Volume 11 of the second series, the thirty fourth volume of the journal, was the last volume with which he was connected. The third series, starting in 1877 and ending in 1896, was edited by James Edmund Harting. William Lucas Distant was the editor of the fourth series, from 1878 to 1914 (vol. 18). The last two volumes of the fourth series, and of the journal, were edited by Frank Finn.

The first series of The Zoologist was edited by Edward Newman and published by John Van Voorst in London. From the beginning Newman received contributions from many naturalists. In the first year for instance John Christopher Atkinson, Henry Doubleday, John Henry Gurney Sr., Frederick Bond, and William Yarrell wrote articles. Newman also contributed articles himself. In general, the first volumes were published in monthly issues of 32 pages, and also as an annual. The pages were numbered continuously, so for instance the first issue of the fourth volume (January, 1846) was numbered pp. 1201–1232 and the twelfth issue of the twenty third volume (December, 1865) was numbered 9825–9848.

The second series, containing eleven volumes, was also edited by Newman. Starting in January, 1866, the page numbering started anew on page 1 and ended with page 5180 in December, 1876.

Editor: James Edmund Harting.

Editor of the fourth series was William Lucas Distant, until 1914. Distant mentioned in his 'Valedictory Address' "the substitution of the camera for the gun, more especially among ornithologists." The last two volumes of the journal were edited by Frank Finn. Starting in January 1917 The Zoologist was incorporated in British Birds (founded 1908). Starting with the first issue of the new series the summaries of the proceedings of the scientific societies were no longer a part of the journal. In 1899 Edmund Selous wrote his first articles, in The Zoologist, about his observations near a nest of Nightjars (Caprimulgus europaeus). A year later he published his study on "the Great Plover", the Eurasian stone curlew, Burhinus oedicnemus. In 1899 Henry Eliot Howard published his first articles in the magazine, about birds in North Worcestershire and in the North West of Ireland. In 1900 the naturalist Arthur Henry Patterson published the first part of his study on the birds of Great Yarmouth and surroundings.