114 MEMOIR OF 



classification," it has of late years been ques- 

 tioned whether it is to be ascribed to the genius 

 of Mr Willughby or Mr Ray ; or to be considered, 

 as it is also sometimes called, The System of 

 Willughby and Ray. The doubt does not seem 

 to have arisen upon any regular comparison of 

 the evidence for each side ; but the system is 

 sometimes, in the most unhesitating man/icr, 

 ascribed to Mr Ray, as if the point could not be 

 controverted ; or an opinion is past to that effect, 

 without any appeal to proof; or the notion that 

 it ought to be attributed to Mr Willughby is 

 treated as a false impression, derived from Mr 

 Hay's admiration and gratitude towards his 

 friend, which led him to bestow honours on his 

 youthful patron, which he might with more 

 justice have assumed to himself ; or at most, if 

 the origination of the system is primarily traced 

 to Mr Willughby, it is by representing it as 

 having been on his part a sagacious but unformed 

 conjecture ; and that its present comparatively 

 complete state is owing to Mr Ray's maturer know- 

 ledge, and protracted opportunity for observation. 

 The writers expressing themselves in this con- 

 trary manner, agree at least in one point, that it 

 is original with either Mr Ray or Mr Willughby, 

 or both ; no one having yet insinuated that it 

 can be ascribed to any one else. It is plain that 

 all reasoning on the subject can only proceed 

 upon such evidence as actually exists, and can 

 therefore be appealed to. So far from there 

 being any thing iu the shape of direct evidence 



