80 



MEMORIALS OF RAY 



table, kingdom. He even wished him to extend his 

 attention to fossils, anticipating, in short, what Linnsens 

 afterwards performed. Nor did he shrink from the task. 

 Though now for some time oppressed with bodily infir- 

 mity, and particularly with very troublesome ulcers in his 

 legs, his mind was tranquil and unimpaired. He soon 

 finished his ' Synopsis Methodica Animalium Quadru- 

 pedum, et Serpentini Generis,' which came out in 1693, 

 making a thin but closely -printed octavo volume. We have 

 abeady spoken of the originality of his method. The 

 volume in question, however, is not confined to dry sys- 

 tematical arrangement. It enters deeply into the general 

 and particular history of animals, their external forms and 

 internal structure, with abundance of entertaining and 

 curious facts and observations. Linnaeus was possessed 

 of this book from the year 1734, and appears to have 

 studied it well. A similar volume on birds, and another 

 on fishes, were prepared by the author ; but the manu- 

 scripts of these lay neglected in the hands of some care- 

 less or ignorant bookseller, till they were discovered by 

 Dr. Derham, and published in 1713. They contain more 

 of particular descriptions and histories than of general 

 remarks, but otherwise accord with the plan of the Sy- 

 nopsis of quadrupeds. Many things are supplied from 

 materials obtained since the publication of Willughby's 

 ' Ornithology' and ' Ichthyology,' and several figures of 

 fishes were added by Derham, at the persuasion of Petiver, 

 whose Avorks they somewhat resemble. 



Having accomplished so many great and laborious pub- 

 lications, our venerable naturalist began, as Dr. Derham 

 informs us, to enjoy the thoughts of reposing from his 

 labours. He was nevertheless ready, at the call of his 

 friends, to revise a translation of Ilauwolff"s Travels, the 

 original having even then become very scarce, besides 

 being unintelligible to mere Enghsh readers. This trans- 

 lation, with some other rare tracts annexed, and a cata- 

 logue of Grecian, Syrian, Egyptian, and Cretan plants, 

 drawn up by Mr. Ray, issued from the press in 1693. 



