294 BRITISH BIRDS. 



Europe " returned to this country in 1665, having parted 

 company from Willughby during the latter part of the 

 journey. On his return to his native country, Ray 

 devoted his serious attention (as he wrote to Dr. Martin 

 Lister) to " gathering up into a catalogue all such plants 

 as I had found at any time growing wild in England 

 .... possibly one day they may see the light : at present 

 the world is glutted with Dr. Merrett's bungling ' Pinax.' * 

 I resolve never to put out anything which is not as perfect 

 as it is possible for me to make it." These labours bore 

 fruit in after years, when Ray published his " Catalogus 

 Plantarum Angliae," and his yet more famous 

 " Synopsis Methodica Stirpium Britannicarum," the 

 second edition of which, published in 1696, set the seal 

 on his fame as a botanist. In 1667 Ray was persuaded 

 to become a Fellow of the Royal Society, and in 1670 

 he changed the spelling of his name, which he had hitherto 

 written Wray, by dropping the initial " W," thus return- 

 ing, as he informed his correspondent Martin Lister, in 

 a letter written August 22nd, 1670, to the style used by 

 his ancestors. In 1672 Ray suffered a great blow by the 

 death of his intimate friend and companion, Francis 

 Willughby, who died in this year " to the infinite and 

 unspeakable loss and grief of myself, his friends, and all 

 good men." To Ray's guardianship Willughby com- 

 mitted his two sons, and further left. him an annuity of 

 sixty pounds, which formed his chief means of support 

 during the remainder of his life. Faithful to his trust, 

 Ray now took up his residence at Middleton Hall, the 

 Warwickshire seat of his late benefactor, and in 1673 

 he was married to Margaret Oakley, in Middleton Church. 

 The year 1674 saw the publication of Ray's first contri- 

 bution to ornithology, entitled : — 



A / Collection of English Words / not generally used 

 . . . . / and catalogues of English Birds / and Fishes 

 . . . . / London .... 1674. 1 vol. 12mo. 



* "Pinax Rerum," by Christopher Merrett. London, 1666, 

 1 vol., 8vo. 



