BY DR. DERHAM. 



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he was a most indefatigable man, and had done more for 

 his short time than could be expected, and carried his 

 observations to a great degree of perfection, yet they re- 

 quired more polishing than it was possible for him to give 

 them, by reason of his being snatched away (as I have 

 said before) at a time of life the most proper for the 

 finishing that part of the noble and useful design, which, 

 by agreement between him and Mr. Ray, fell to his share; 

 which was dispatching 'The History of Animals;' of 

 which design it may not be improper here to give some 

 account, which I shall do, as I had it from Mr. Ray 

 himself, when I waited upon him at Black Notley, May 

 the 15th, 1704, viz.: 



These two gentlemen, finding the ' History of Nature' 

 very imperfect, had agreed between themselves, before 

 their travels beyond sea, to reduce the several tribes of 

 things to a method ; and to give accurate descriptions of 

 the several species, from a strict view of them. And for- 

 asmuch as Mr. Willughby's genius lay chiefly to animals, 

 therefore he undertook the birds, beasts, fishes, and in- 

 sects, as Mr. Ray did the vegetables. And how each of 

 these two great men discharged his province, the world 

 hath seen in their works ; which show that Mr. Ray 

 lived to bring his part to great perfection : and that Mr. 

 Willughby carried his as far as the utmost application 

 and diligence of a short life could enable him.* 



* The intimacy that existed between W^illughby and Ray in the younger 

 days of the latter, the nature of their pursuits, and other circumstances, so 

 strongly remind one of the friendship that subsequently existed between 

 Artedi and Linnaeus, that I have been induced to make the following extracts 

 from a notice of the former in the ' Biographical Dictionary.' Artedi, Peter, 

 or Arctedius, Petrus, was born at Anund, in Sweden, on the 22d of February, 

 1705, the same year in which Ray died. As a boy he was fond of natural 

 history and alchemy. In 1724 he was sent to Upsal, and there attended the 

 lectures on philosophy and theology ; but his love for natural liistory still 

 continued, and his delight in alchemy had led him to the more rational pursuit 

 of chemistry, Plis mind being now wholly engrossed with natural science, he 

 gave up all thoughts of entering the church, and commenced the study of 

 mediciae, — a profession more congenial with his favourite pursuits. It was in 

 1728 that another young and ardent student of natural history went to study 

 medicine at U])sal ; this was Limiseus. He immediately inquired, as he tells us 

 in the short and beautiful narrative he has given of the life of Artedi, wlio 



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