32 NATURAL HISTORY. 



figures.' Ray winds up a long argument upon the merits 

 of these two theories as follows : ' For my own part, I 

 confess, I propend to the first opinion, as being more 

 consonant to the nature of the thing, and could wish 

 that all external arguments and objections against it were 

 rationally and solidly answered.' Having satisfactorily 

 disposed of this knotty point, he then immediately continues 

 the thread of his narrative, as if it had been wholly 

 uninterrupted, by giving a full list of the then professors 

 in the university of Altdorf, together with a statement 

 as to the books which were studied in the different 

 classes. 



The two or three years which followed Ray's return 

 home, were occupied by him in all sorts of scientific work, 

 and in travelling through England. Much of his time 

 he spent with his friend Willughby, with whom he carried 

 out at this period a series of well-known experiments 

 upon the ascent and descent of the sap in trees. In 1667, 

 Ray became a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, 

 which had only been incorporated for about five 

 years. Two years later he published his ' Catalogue 

 of English Plants/ which, after going into a second 

 edition, was remodelled, and ultimately appeared in 

 1690 as the famous 'Synopsis Methodica Stirpium 

 Britannicarum.' So far as botany was concerned, this 

 well-known treatise ' proved the great corner-stone of his 

 reputation.' 



Year after year thus passed by, and found Ray still 

 absorbed in his peaceful and uneventful scientific labours, 

 till, in 1672, his friend and coadjutor Willughby was 

 carried off by a fever; 'to the infinite and unspeakable 



