MEMOIR OP HAY. 41 



Ray's literary occupations consisted in the prepa- 

 ration for the press of Willughby's book on birds, 

 the completion of some of his own works on botany, 

 and various contributions to the Royal Society. 

 The latter related chiefly to the natural history of 

 the higher animals, but they likewise communicated 

 valuable information regarding insects, spiders, and 

 the myriapodae. The physiology of vegetation also 

 formed a subject of communication, and on one oc- 

 casion, at the request of the indefatigable secretary 

 Mr Oldenburgh, who was one of Ray's regular cor- 

 respondents, the latter furnished one of the philoso- 

 phical discourses annually read to the society, which 

 was received with great approbation. The subject 

 was, the nature of seeds, and the specific differ- 

 ences of plants. Willughby's observations on birds 

 were written in Latin, and the work was accordingly 

 completed in that language, and published in the 

 year 1675. Nothing was omitted by the editor to 

 render it as complete as possible. The descriptions 

 are frequently of considerable length, and will often 

 be found more correct and satisfactory than many of 

 those contained in the numerous and costly works 

 which have since been devoted to this favourite tribe 

 of animals. Ray afterwards prepared an English 

 translation, to which he made large additions, and 

 gave it to the public in 1678. In this edition, the 

 plates were likewise improved and increased in num- 

 ber ; but their execution was by no means satisfactory 

 to Ray, as the engravers were but little experienced 



