kAV. 45 



Grecian, Syrian, Egyptian, and Cretan plants. 

 Ever wishing for the truth, he was led during a 

 correspondence with Rivinus, a foreign botanist, to 

 Tevise his system of the classification of plants, and to 

 TncTude that of his friend in it. Ray was impressed 

 with the greater importance of the seeds and fruits 

 of plants in classification than of the leaves and 

 floral envelopes ; Rivinus and others believed in 

 the superior importance of the flower as a means 

 of distinguishing and grouping plants. After due 

 consideration, Ray included part of the plan of his 

 friend, but it is certain that plants cannot be safely \ 

 grouped, in every instance, by the similarity of their \ 

 flowers. 



All this correspondence and alteration of systems "yr 

 was extremely useful, for it led to the foundation 

 of what is called the natural system of classification, 

 in opposition to the artificial style, which was 

 founded by the great man whose life will be noticed 

 in the next chapter. 



Ray lived a long, happy, and useful life, and 

 died at Black Notley, in a house of his own 

 building, in 1705, in the seventy-seventh year of 

 his age. A friend wrote of him : " In his dealings, 

 no man more strictly just ; in his conversation, no 

 man more humble, courteous, and affable ; towards 

 God no man more devout ; and towards the poor 

 and distressed no man more compassionate and 

 charitable according to his abilities." He was 

 buried, according to his own wish, at Black Notley ; 

 but he would not have his body buried in the 



