1 70 RAY. 



any considerable bigness, in the known regions of 

 the world, have escaped the cognizance of the cu- 

 rious." At the present day, more than 1000 spe- 

 cies have been described. The number of birds, 

 he says, " may be near 500 ; and the number of 

 fishes, secluding shell-fish, as many: but, if the 

 shell-fish be taken in, more than six times the num- 

 ber." As to the species remaining undiscovered, he 

 supposes " the whole sum of beasts and birds to ex- 

 ceed by a third part, and fishes by one-half, those 

 known." The number of insects, that is, of animals 

 not included in the above classes, he estimates at 

 2000 in Britain alone, and 20,000 in the whole 

 world. The number of j)la7its described in Bau- 

 hin's Pinax was 6000, and our author supposes, 

 that " there are in the world more than triple that 

 number ; there being in the vast continent of Ame- 

 rica as great a variety of species as with us, and yet 

 but few common to Europe, or perhaps Africk and 

 Asia. And if," says he, '' on the other side the 

 equator, there be much land still remaining un- 

 discovered, as probably there may, we must sup- 

 pose the number of plants to be far greater." — 

 '' What," he continues, '' can we infer from all 

 this ? If the number of creatures be so exceeding 

 great, how great, nay immense, must needs be the 

 power and wisdom of Him who formed them all !" 



Early in 1692, the Synopsis Methodica Animalium 

 Quadruped um et Serpen tini Generis was finished, 

 and published the year after. Important as were the 

 botanical writings of Ray, his zoological works have 

 had a more decided influence on the advancement 

 of natural history. " Their peculiar character," says 

 Cuvier, " consists in clearer and stricter methods 



