RISE AND PROGRESS OF ZOOLOGY. a5 
Hence it becomes evident that the chief design of 
Willughby was only to admit into his history such 
birds as he had himself seen, or of whose existence 
there could be no doubt,—an admirable principle, 
in full accordance with the Baconian philosophy ; 
and which, in this instance at least, establishes the 
superiority of his judgment over that of his editor. 
It was clearly with this view of acquiring original 
information that Willughby travelled in different 
parts of the Continent, “ where he made so good 
progress in this work (his Ornithology) that few of 
our European animals, described by others, had 
escaped his view.” And so ardent was his love of 
personal investigation, to the intent “that he might, 
as far as in him lay, perfect the history of animals, 
that he actually designed a voyage into the New 
World ;” but the fiat of that beneficent Being, whose 
works he studied, and whose precepts he observed 
— for he was eminently pious — ordained otherwise : 
the hand of death arrested his bright career, and he 
died, in the year 1672, at the early age of thirty- 
seven. Willughby was the most accomplished 
zoologist of this or any other country; for all the 
honour that has been given to Ray, so far as con- 
cerns systematic zoology, belongs exelusively te 
him. He alone is the author of that system which 
both Ray and Linneus took for their guide, 
which was not improved by the former or confessed 
by the latter. It has been customary for writers to 
represent Willughby more as a wealthy and in- 
telligent amateur than as an original thinker; as 
the disciple and pupil of Ray in zoological pursuits 
rather than as his master and instructor. How far 
