PREFACE, BY THE EDITOR. 





THIS volume consists of those letters of John Ray and 

 his Correspondents which were published shortly after 

 his death, by Dr. Derham ; also of a series of his letters 

 addressed to Sir Hans Sloane, and still existing in the 

 library of the British Museum. These last letters were 

 rendered available by the kindness of Sir Henry Ellis, 

 Librarian to the British Museum, through whose means 

 their existence was first made known to the Council of 

 the Ray Society. 



Only that part of the correspondence published in 

 the ' Philosophical Letters' which was written by Ray, 

 or addressed to him, has been included in the present 

 volume. The Preface of Dr. Derham to that work, which 

 it has been thought desirable to reprint, alludes to some 

 of the correspondence which has been omitted, on account 

 of its not relating immediately to John Ray. 



In preparing these letters for the press, T have been 

 materially assisted by my friend C. C. Babington, Esq., 

 M.A., of St. John's College, Cambridge, who has looked 

 over the proof sheets, given the modern names of the 

 plants referred to in the correspondence, and added many 



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