FRANCIS WILLUGHBY. 79 



multis retro annis navavit operam, ego obiter 

 tantum et animi causa hac in parte versatus 

 sum." 



Similar notices may be found in several other 

 letters of different dates. In one, dated June 29, 

 1670, it appears that he had greatly extended 

 Mr Lister's enumeration of English spiders. 

 Other letters in that interesting collection of the 

 correspondence of several of the most eminent 

 men of that time, relate to his observations on a 

 variety of other topics. 



The greatest part of the winter Mr Ray was 

 Occupied in reviewing and helping to pat in order 

 Mr Willughby r s collection of birds, fishes, shells* 

 stones, and other fossils, seeds, dried plants, 

 coins, &c.; and in conjunction with Mr Willaghby, 

 in .rendering to Dr Wiikins that assistance, by 

 framing his tables of plants, quadrupeds, birds, 

 fishes, &c. for the use of the Universal Character, 

 which he had requested. " Of these tables," Dr 

 Derham says, in his Life of Ray,* " they were 

 partly drawn up by Mr Willughby and Mr Ray, 

 who were the best able of any men living for 

 such an undertaking. But yet, when they had 

 done it, I find they were not well pleased with 

 it, thinking it imperfect, and capable of great 

 amendments, which they afterwards gave it in 

 their histories of plants and animals. 



But it is not at all to be wondered, that such 

 an account should be defective at the beginning, 



* Page 21. 



