The National Geographic Magazine, Vol. II., No. 5, April, 1891

National Geographic Society:
APRIL, 1891.
Vol. II. 1890. No. 5.

The NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY was organized in January, 1888, to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge. It is incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia, and has at present an active membership of about four hundred.
The publication of a magazine was early determined upon as one of the means of increasing and diffusing geographic knowledge; and two volumes of The National Geographic Magazine have been published in the form of a quarterly journal.
During the past two years it has been found that the form of publication adopted at the outset meets but imperfectly the needs of the Society: in the first place, since the season of active work in the Society includes the winter months only, there was an excess of material for the two earlier numbers and a dearth of material for the two later numbers of the volume; and in the second place, the necessity for holding articles until sufficient material for a number was received sometimes led to delay in publishing interesting and important matter. Accordingly it has been decided to discontinue the quarterly form and to publish the Magazine in the form of a series of brochures, each issued promptly as possible after reception of the material. The details of this modified form of publication are set forth elsewhere in this number of the Magazine .
While the National Geographic Magazine is edited by and constitutes the organ of the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY, it is not limited to this function; and, as was announced in the first number of the journal, its pages will be open to all persons interested in geography in the hope that it may become a channel of intercommunication, stimulate geographic investigation, and prove an acceptable medium for the publication of results.
With the adoption of the modified form of the journal the publication year was changed from one determined by the working season of the SOCIETY to the calendar year; and it is to cover a hiatus in the SOCIETY'S records growing out of this change that this fifth number of Volume II is issued.