418 CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 



averse from doing. Of such insects I suppose you are 

 of any man best furnished with variety of species. I am 

 likewise about drawing up a history of all the British 

 insects which have been either observed by me, or shall 

 be communicated by friends ; all which I conceive will 

 not amount to the fifth part of the natives of this island. 

 I hear that you have several new ones of the Papilionaceous 

 tribe, sent you out of the west of England, which I should 

 be glad to see. I was told by Mr. Breynius, who did me 

 the kindness to give me a visit here, that you had not 

 been well lately, which I was sorry for. I can heartily 

 condole with friends, myself being not insensible how 

 uneasy a state of pain and sickness is. I wish you health 

 for the future, and rest, 



Sir, 

 Your faithful friend and servant, 



JOHN RAY. 



Black Notley, April 24, 1703. 



Mr. THOKESBY to Mr. RAY. 



Leeds, April 27, 1703. 



HONOURED SIR, This additional list of local words is 

 larger than I expected, and therein you will quickly ob- 

 serve several words already inserted in your very curious 

 and accurate collection ; but then it is either when the 

 same word has a different signification (which is not un- 

 common) or pronounced after so different a manner, as 

 considerably to alter the orthography ; or lastly, when 

 the etymology has fallen in my way in the perusal of 

 some of our Saxon authors, as Wheelocks, Bede, Somner, 

 Spelman, Hicks, &c. 



I am tempted to think the German Silk-tail [Bomby- 

 cilla garruld\, registered in the Philosophic. Trans., No. 

 175, is become natural to us, there being no less than 

 three killed nigh this town the last winter : 



