CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 365 



feet in most ; so that it is a very hard matter for me, 

 who am a stranger to them, to determine the genus. I 

 was in hope to have seen Dr. Krieg here, who could have 

 informed me of all these particulars ; but now I hear that 

 he is speedily leaving England. I wish you would please 

 to inform me which of them are common to Jamaica, 

 and described by you in your elaborate and exact Natural 

 History of that island, if you remember or have taken 

 notes of such, if not it must be deferred till the plants 

 are remitted, for I would be loth to multiply and make 

 two or three species of one. 



Your Herman's ' Parad. Bat.' and Boccone's two 

 books ^intend to remit by next week's carrier, with 

 thanks for the use of them. I must beg your pardon for 

 having in some measure defaced them .... by sullying 

 them myself, being forced to use them by the fireside, 

 and partly by a child's unluckily scattering ink upon 

 them. I intend to have the books myself, and if you 

 please to send me back these again, I will order Mr. 

 Smith to get them bound for you in the same manner 

 that these are. 



I have now agreed with Mr. Smith and partner about 

 printing my Supplement ; they 'are to give me for the 

 copy in proportion as Mr. Fairthorne and Motte gave for 

 the History itself, viz. thirty pounds in money and twenty 

 copies bound; and I have permitted to procure what 

 subscriptions they can to save themselves harmless. This 

 I thought best to do, because there is such a discourage- 

 ment put upon the book trade, and because I am told 

 that should I have undertaken to publish it myself, suffi- 

 cient subscriptions would with great difficulty have been 

 procured, and I must have put myself and friends to a great 

 deal of trouble, which by this means is avoided. 



I am, Sir, 

 Yours entirely (cum tota sequela), 



JOHN RAY. 



To his honoured friend, Dr. Hans Sloane, 



at his house at the corner of Southampton street, 

 towards Bloorasbury square, London. 



