146 KAY. 



virtuous employments, one he much delighted in 

 was the searching after, and describing of, ani- 

 mals (birds, beasts, fishes, and insects), which pro- 

 vince he had taken for his task, as ]\Ir Ray had 

 that of plants. And in these matters he was a 

 great master, as he was also in plants, fossils, and, 

 in short, the whole history of nature ; to which I 

 may add that of coins, and most other curious parts 

 of learning. And in the pursuit and acquest of 

 this knowledge he stuck neither at any labour or 

 cost. Noble monuments of which he left behind 

 him in those posthumous pieces which Mr Ray 

 afterwards published." 



To render a separate article unnecessary, some 

 particulars may here be given respecting that dis- 

 tinguished individual. He was born in Lincoln- 

 shire in 1635, and, as has already been mentioned, 

 studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, under the 

 tuition of Ray, whose most intimate friend he con- 

 tinued to be until the period of his premature and 

 lamented death. Dr Derham states, from a con- 

 versation which he had with Ray a short time before 

 his last illness, that " these two gentlemen, find- 

 ing the history of nature very imperfect, had agreed 

 between themselves, before their travels beyond sea, 

 to reduce the several tribes of things to a method ; 

 and to give accurate descriptions of the several spe- 

 cies, from a strict view of them." Both entered 

 upon the task with an enthusiasm which could have 

 been excited only by an intense love of nature, and 

 although Ray was more successful in the event, 

 Willughby was not less industrious during his 

 short career. Ornithology and ichthyology seem to 

 have been his favourite studies, and in prosecuting 



