20 NATURAL HISTORY. 



to the writer. Indeed, both of these early works are 

 exceedingly rude and imperfect productions, and have 

 no value at the present time. On the other hand, the 

 close of the seventeenth century was rendered memorable 

 in the history of zoology through the labours of several 

 British naturalists, and notably of John Ray and Francis 

 Willughby. Ray may therefore be appropriately selected 

 as the chief representative of the natural sciences in 

 Britain during the pre-Linnean period. 



