FRANCIS WILLUGKBY. 125 



fishes, and insects, which lie had digested into a 

 method of his own contriving, yet also leaving 

 few of their descriptions and histories so full and 

 perfect as he intended them." Mr Willughby is 

 known to have considered Belon as the best 

 writer on ichthyology whose works were extant 

 in his day. Their systems are said to have some 

 resemblance, but not to the extent of depriving 

 Mr Willughby 's of a claim to invention. 



The following years of Mr Ray's life were 

 occupied in the publication, at different intervals, 

 of several excellent works, none of which, 

 however, were in any way connected with Mr 

 Willughby. 



In the last year of his life he resolved to com- 

 plete Mr Willughby's History of Insects. In a 

 letter to Dr Derham, who had just been to visit 

 him, dated August 16, 1704, he writes, " It is 

 high time that I give you thanks for the kind 

 visit you made me here, and those rare insects 

 3'ou were pleased to communicate. I am now 

 entering on a History of Insects, &c. The main 

 reason which induces me to undertake it is, be- 

 cause I have Mr Willughby 's history and papers 

 in my hands, who had spent a great deal of time, 

 and bestowed much pains upon this subject, when 

 there were few that minded or were diligent 

 about it, though now there are many ; and it is a 

 pity his pains should be lost." 



In the last letter * Mr Ray wrote to Dr Derham, 



* Philosophical Letters, p. 342. 



