CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 275 



Mr. RAY to Dr. HANS SLOANE. 



Black Notley, April 4, 91. 



SIR, I have this morning sent back by carrier your 

 descriptions and draughts of birds, for the use whereof I 

 return you thanks. I have also sent in the box a small 

 parcel for Mr. Smith the bookseller ; which, if he doth 

 not send for soon after it conies, I entreat you would 

 please to convey to him, I have put in some papers con- 

 taining my conjectures about some of the species ; two or 

 three I_ent before in a letter, the receipt of which you 

 make no mention of in your last concerning the Cuntur 

 [the Condor, Vultur Gryphus, Linn.], which the last post 

 brought me. To say the truth, before the receipt of your 

 letter I was suspicious that the story of the Cuntur was 

 fabulous and romantic, and that indeed there was no such 

 bird in nature, and therefore made no mention of it in 

 Mr. Willughby's ' Ornithology.' But by your letter I 

 am now convinced of the truth of it, and shall therefore 

 add it to my Synopsis. I am now more and more con- 

 firmed in my opinion that there are many species both 

 of fishes and birds, and of these last especially aquatic, 

 common to Europe and America ; but why more water- 

 fowl and more water-plants deserves consideration. I 

 suppose among the numerous species of Hernandez's 

 Mexican small birds there may be some the same with 

 some of yours, but I was too slothful to compare them. 

 My wife salutes you with her service, and I am 



Sir, 

 Very much yours, 



JOHN RAY. 



For his honoured friend Dr. Hans Sloane, 

 at Montague House, London. 



