CORRESPONDENCE OP RAY. 251 



animals, excepting insects, and it will be a general synopsis 

 of quadrupeds. It will take me up more time to finish 

 than I thought when I first set upon it ; indeed so much 

 as, if I had foreseen, I should hardly have been induced 

 to undertake it ; but now I must go on. 



The remainder is, great thanks for your extraordinary 

 kindness, attested by real effects, and profession of 

 readiness to show myself grateful, if any occasion of 

 serving you offers to, 



Sh-, 

 Your affectionate friend and servant, 



John Ray. 



For Dr. Hans Sloane, at the 



Duchess of Albemarle's, in Clerkenwell, London. 



Mr. Ray to Dr. Robinson. 



Sir, — I received yours of March 20, in an answer 

 whereto I can only tell you as to the first particular, 

 about bisulc and quadrisulc, that the reasons why I con- 

 jecture the Rhinoceros and Hippopotamus to be quadri- 

 sulc are (what I intimated before), the bigness and posi- 

 tion of the outward hoofs, as they are represented in the 

 sculps, not being set at that distance as they are in bisulc 

 animals ; and the authority of Columna as to the Hippo- 

 potamus, who (had the hind ungulse been like to, and 

 situate in like manner, as in other bisulc animals) would 

 never have made such a remark upon it, viz. that its feet 

 were quadrisulc. 



As to the second, concerning the Viper, I believe that 

 the eggs have no cohesion with the uterus, neither the 

 young. I have easily turned the eggs out ; and in the 

 young, when ready for exclusion, I have indeed observed 

 a navel string ; but it seemed to be nothing but one 

 single membrane, which served only as an infundibulum 



