164 CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 



you mention having not been seen by me. Dr. Tyson's 

 * Anatomy of the Phocaena,' I dare say is very exact ; 

 but, when I begun, that history was not published, at 

 least I had no knowledge of it, and since have neglected 

 to send for it. 1 am sensible that the history of the 

 cetaceous kind is far from perfect, but in my circum- 

 stances it was not easy for me to carry it on any farther. 

 There wants a description of the Unicorn-fish [the Nar- 

 whal Monodon monoceros], of which there are figures of 

 two kinds in the History of the Antilles, written in French; 

 but I do not much confide in that author. There is a 

 prolix description of the skeleton of the head in Wor- 

 mius's Museum, but too tedious for me to transcribe. I 

 am to seek for descriptions of many species of whales, 

 mentioned in catalogues of them ; but I take many of 

 them to be fictitious, and have little hopes of getting any 

 good information of them. Both myself and the public 

 (if this work ever be printed) shall be beholden to you 

 for your contributions to it. If the publishing of it be 

 deferred till Mr. Willughby's son comes of age, I doubt 

 not but he will be at the charge of necessary plates rather 

 than it should be suppressed. My Lord Bishop of Ox- 

 ford is highly to be commended for his forwardness to 

 promote any good design. For this History of Fishes, I 

 can warrant it to be as full and perfect as to the number 

 and species, and their descriptions (excepting only the 

 cetaceous kind), as was the history of birds. The Exan- 

 ffuia aquatica I account rather insects than fishes ; and, 

 besides, neither Mr. Willughby nor myself had so fully 

 described each several species, nor ranged them in their 

 classes as was necessary for a complete history of them. 

 But as to designs for the cuts, I have several drawn by 

 hand from the life, and have already, for every species, 

 made a reference to the place where the best figure of it 

 is extant in Gesner, Aldrovand, Rondeletius, Salvianus, 

 &c., (I mean in my judgment) in a paper I have by me, 

 which you may command. 



Black Notley, March 13, 84. 



