292 BRITISH BIRDS. 



Birds, which is (as we said before of Animals in general) 

 in many particulars confused and obscure, by so 

 accurately describing each kind, and observing their 

 Characteristics and distinctive notes, that the Reader 

 might be sure of our meaning, and upon comparing any 

 Bird with our description not fail in discerning whether 

 it be the described or no. Nor will it be difficult to find 

 out any unknown Bird that shall be offered : for Com- 

 paring it with the Tables first the Characteristic notes of 

 the genus's from the highest or first downward will easily 

 guide him to the lowest genus ; among the species whereof, 

 being not many, by comparing it also with the several 

 descriptions the Bird may soon be found " (Preface to 

 the Ornithology). 



John Ray, the son of Roger and Elizabeth Ray, w^as 

 born in the parish of Black Notley, in Essex, in the 

 autumn of 1627, possibly on November 29th ; and was 

 baptized on December 6th of that same year. The date 

 of Ray's birth and baptism have proved a stumbling 

 block to most of his biographers. This arises from the 

 coincidence that on the same page of the parish register 

 at Black Notley are recorded the baptisms of two John 

 Rays, in the successive years of 1627 and 1628, as will be 

 seen from the reproduction of these entries here given. 

 They run as follows : — 



(1627) John [son] of Roger and Elizabeth Ray Decem- 

 ber 6. 



(1628) John son of Thomas and Dorothie Wray bapt. 

 June 29. ' 



The latter of these two entries has apparent 1}^ been 

 mistaken as referring to John Ray the naturalist. William 

 Derham, in his " Select Remains and Life of Ray " * 

 gives the date of Ray's birth as November 29th, 1628, 

 and then in a footnote informs us that on " searching the 

 parish registers " it was discovered that " he was 

 baptized on the 29th of June, 1628 ; consequently the 



* Included in the " :\Iemorials of John Ray." London, 1846. 

 1 vol., 8vo. 



