* 
18 Dr. Smiru’s Introductory Difcourfe. 
at once. All which I think juftifies me in calling the period of 
which I am fpeaking, a phyfiological age. In it was laid the foun- 
dation of almoft every ‘doétrine which has fince been cultivated 
and enlarged upon, and on which all following dice and phyfi- 
ological fyftems have been built. > jin 
It is no wonder that fyftematic Zoology fhould derive ess 
from all thefe difcoveries. . Towards the end of the laft century 
appeared two great naturaliftsy amply qualified to profit by them, 
and to whom the fcience is infinitely indebted, our countrymen 
Willoughby and Ray. Thefe illuftrious friends laboured together 
with uncommon ardour in the ftudy of nature, and left fcarcely 
any of her tribes unexplored. But death, which fo often difap- 
points the faireft hopes, cut off the former in the prime of life, 
before he had digefted the materials to the acquifition of which he 
had devoted his youth; and they might all have been loft to the 
world and his name have periihed with them, but for the faithful 
friendfhip and truly fcientific ardour of Ray. So clofe was the in- 
tercourfe between thefe two naturalifts, that it is not eafy to affign 
each his due fhare of merit. Indeed Ray has been fo partial to the 
fame of his departed friend, and has cherifhed his memory with 
fuch affectionate care, that we are in danger of attributing too 
much to Mr. Willoughby, and too little to himfelf. Certainly 
' however it is by no means a fair ftatement of the cafe to-fayayith 
Dr. Derham, that Mr. Willoughby had taken the animal c x O 
. for his tafk, as Mr. Ray had the vegetable one. The Ornithology 
and Ichthyology fufficiently fhew that Ray was not a mere editor of 
thofe noble works, and the Synopfes Avium & Pifcium, publifhed 
fome time after, in which he has made many improvements, and 
> 
fome important changes as to arrangement, prove with how much 
. attention he had ftudied thofe two branches of Zoology. I need 
- mot add that the Synopfis of Quadrupeds is, as to method, entirely 
2 | his 
