OF WASHINGTON. 93 



for instance, by Kircher and Bonanni, notwithstanding that the 

 latter did very much for natural history ; and in fact the idea of 

 spontaneous generation of life was not definitely disposed of until 

 the time of Pasteur and Tyndall, within the recollection of many 

 of us. 



The Ray period, or the interval included between the times of 

 Ray and Reaumur, or what is practically the latter half of the lyth 

 century, which was the prolific period, and the first half of the 

 1 8th century, marks a very decided advance in the progress of 

 the science of entomology. Very much of excellent work was 

 done during this period, which, while reaching to the time of 

 Linne, was not, or scarcely, influenced by the great Swedish 

 naturalist. 



A chronological list of the principal writers of this period is 

 introduced : 



Principal Writers of the Rav Period. 



Goedart, Johann, 1620-1668. Merian, Maria Sibylla, 1647-1717. 



Redi, Francesco, 1626-1697. Vallisnieri, Antonio, 1661-1730. 



Malpighi, Marcello, 1628-1694. Frisch, Johann Leonhard, 1666- 



Ray, John, 1628-1704-7? 1743. 



Leeuwenhoeck, Antony van, 1632- Catesby, Mark, 1679-1749. 



1723. Reaumur, Rene Antoine Ferchault 



Swammerdam, Johann, 1637-1685. de, 1683-1757. 



Lister, Martin, 1638-1711. Albin, Eleazar, writings, 1720- 



Bonanni, Filippo, 1638-1725. 1736. 



The habits and metamorphoses of insects were carefully studied 

 and delineated by Goedart, one of the earliest writers (1620- 

 1668), and Reaumur, one of the later (1683-1757). 



Johann Goedart was a painter of Middleburg, and his work, 

 '-'Metamorphoses et Historia Naturalis Insectorum" etc., 

 three volumes with many plates, some colored, published between 

 1662-1669, * s a verv creditable production for the time, and, 

 while containing many fanciful stories about ants, bees, mole 

 crickets, etc. , yet contains many valuable observations, notably 

 on the life-habits of the Lepidoptera, and was a decided influence 

 in the advancement of the science. It was translated into Dutch, 

 English, and French. 



Of Reaumur (Rene Antoine Ferchault de), member of the 



