SOME EARLY BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS. 293 



above date, as the supposed one of his birth, is incorrect." 

 Acting on this ingenious hypothesis, Ray's subsequent 

 biographers have fixed his birth on November 29th, 

 1627, and his baptism on June 29th, 1628.* 



Ray was the son of the village blacksmith, and the 

 house which now stands opposite the forge in Black 

 Notley is said to have been his birthplace. Although of 

 humble origin . he received an excellent education : first 

 at the Grammar School in the neighbouring town of 

 Braintree, and afterwards at St. Catherine's Hall (where 

 he only remained for a short time), and Trinity College, 

 Cambridge. At Trinity he obtained a fellowship in 1649, 

 and afterwards filled many important offices in his College. 

 Ray remained at Cambridge for several years. From 

 the University he commenced his earlier " Itineraries," 

 journeys which he undertook for the sake of observation 

 and the collection of plants, and of which he kept an 

 account. The first of these he undertook alone in 1658, but 

 in many of the subsequent ones he was accompanied by 

 Francis Willughby, proceeding on different occasions 

 as far as Scotland and Cornwall. At Cambridge, Ray 

 published the first of his numerous works, a small 8vo 

 volume entitled " Catalogus Plantarum Circa Canta- 

 brigiam nascentium." This appeared in 1660, and in 

 the same year Ray entered into holy orders. Two years 

 later his connection with his College came to an end. 

 Refusing to subscribe to the " Act of Uniformity " of 

 1662, he resigned his fellowship, and being now at greater 

 liberty he resolved to pursue his studies in Natural history 

 still more ardently, and for that purpose to extend his 

 travels beyond the confines of his own country. 



Accordingly in the spring of 1663, Ray, with two of 

 his pupils, t and accompanied by Willughby, left England 

 for France, and after " passing through divers parts of 



* Vide art. " Diet. Nat. Biogr." "Ray, John (1627-1705), naturalist, 

 was born at Black Notley, near Braintree, Es-ex, probably on 

 29tli Nov., 1G27. He was baptized on 29th June, 1628." 



t Mr. Skippon (afterwards Sir Philip) and Mr. N. Bacon. 



