125 MEMOIR OF 



dated September 6, 1704, lie says, " The 

 which I have now entered upon is indeed too 

 great a task for me ; I am very crazy and infirm, 

 and God knows whether I shall overlive this 

 winter. Cold weather is very grievous to me ; 

 besides, I have not bestowed sufficient time and 

 pains in the quest of any insect tribes, except 

 papilios ; and I have told how far short I am of 

 perfection in that. I rely chiefly on Mr Wil- 

 lugJibys discoveries and the contributions of 

 friends ; as for my own papers on this subject, 

 they are not worth preserving''" Mr Ray died on 

 the 17th of January in the next year, 1705. 



The History of Insects was published after his 

 death by Dr Derham, at the expense of the Royal 

 Society, in the year 1710, under the following 

 title : 



" Historia Insectorum, Autore Joanne Raio ; 

 Collegii S. Trinitatis apud Cantabrigienses, et 

 Societates Regiae olim socio, opus posthumum. 

 Jussu Regia3 Societatis Londinensis Editum. 



" Cui subjungitur appendix de scaraboeis Britan- 

 nicis Autore M. Lister, S.R.S. ex MSS : MusgeL 

 Ashmolasani." 



This work comprehends all Mr Willughby's 

 descriptions, with others by Mr Ray, and forms a 

 quarto volume, including the appendix on British 

 beetles. It abounds with acknowledgments to 

 Mr Willughby throughout, made frequently in 

 terms of the highest respect and deference. When 

 it is considered how comparatively neglected the 

 study of insects was when Mr Willughby began, 



