30 MEMOIR OF RAY. 



After exploring the natural productions of Britain 

 with so much diligence and success, Mr Ray became 

 desirous of gaining some acquaintance with those 

 of other countries ; and for this purpose formed a 

 plan, in concert with his steady coadjutor Mr Wil- 

 lughby, for visiting the Continent. They sailed 

 from Dover in April 1663, accompanied by Mr Na- 

 thaniel Bacon, and Mr, afterwards Sir Philip, Skip- 

 pon, two of Ray's pupils. They passed through the 

 Low Countries, Germany, &c. ; traversed Italy, and 

 even visited Sicily and Malta. On their return 

 they spent a considerable time in Switzerland, 

 where Ray is said by Haller to have discovered 

 many new plants, although that was the scene where 

 Gesner and the two Bauhines had laboured so assi- 

 duously. The result of his foreign travels was given 

 to the public in 1673, under the title of " Ob- 

 servations topographical, moral, and physiological, 

 made in a journey through part of the Low Coun- 

 tries, Germany, Italy, and France." Mr Willughby 

 separated from the party at Montpellier, and made 

 a tour through Spain, an account of which is like- 

 wise included in the volume. 



When he returned home, Ray continued to pro- 

 secute the study of British plants with unremitting 

 assiduity, and to make excursions to the more re- 

 mote parts of the country to ascertain their locali- 

 ties. On these occasions he was usually accompa- 

 nied by Mr Willughby or some other scientific friend, 

 and his researches were not confined to plants, but 



