FRANCIS WILLUGHBY. 101 



writings are concerned, in preparing his observa- 

 tions on birds, which made its first appearance in 

 the year 1675, in Latin, in which language Mr 

 Willughby had written it, as he did all hi& other 

 manuscripts, it being at that time the catholic 

 language of the literati of Europe. 



It was published, in the first instance, as simply 

 a treatise on ornithology, without those extraneous 

 accompaniments which, as will be shewn, are 

 entirely to be ascribed to Mr Ray's selection. 

 It had the following title : 



Francisci Willoughbeii de Middleton armigeri 

 e Reg: Soc: ornithologiae Libri tres, in quibus 

 aves omnes hactenus cognitae, in Methodum 

 naturis suis, convenientem redactae, accurate des- 

 cribuntur: descriptiones iconibus elegantissimis 

 et vivarum avium simillimis sere incisis illus- 

 trantur. Totum opus recognovit, digessit, sup- 

 plevit Joh. Raius. 



It is now the place to give an account 

 of this celebrated book. Dr Derham relates,* 

 that when he " waited upon Mr Ray at 

 Black-Notley, his native place, and whither he 

 had retired to end his days, May the 15th, 1704, 

 Mr Ray told him, that himself and Mr Wil- 

 lughby, finding the history of nature very im- 

 perfect, had agreed between themselves, before 

 their travels beyond sea, to reduce the several 

 tribes of things to a method, and to give accurate 

 descriptions of the several species from a strict 

 view of them ; and forasmuch as Mr Willughby's 

 * Derham's Life of Ray, p. 48. 



