Ray, ' ^ 241 
Moffat's Book on Infefts j" and the 
fliort and imperfed elTays ofCHARLETON, 
in his Onomafticon^'' and of Merret, in 
his Pi?iaXy' were almoft the only Englijh 
writers to be confulted. To affert that 
better helps were wanted, is not to injure, 
or to degrade thofe authors. Mr. Ray had 
been urged by his friends, and particularly 
by Dr. Robinson, to undertake an entire 
Fauna Anglica, and a hiftory of Fof- 
Jils alfo; but age and infirmides began now 
to opprefs him, and he thought himfelf in- - 
adequate to the attempt. He lived, how- 
ever, to perform more than his fears, or his 
humility permitted him to hope. 
In 1693, he publiflied his Synopsis 
METHODICA AnIMALIUM, QuADRUPE- 
DUM, Serpentini GENERIS; vulgarium 
notas charaBerifticaSy rariorwn defcriptmtes 
integrasy exhibens : cum htjlorm et obfervationi-^ 
bus anatomicis, perquam curiojis, Pramittun-- 
tur nonnullade animulium ingenerejenfu^ gene^ 
ratione^ divijione^ &c.'' Lond. 8"". pp. 336, 
In this volume we fee the firft truly fyf- 
tematic arrangement of animals, fince the 
days of Aristotle 5 an arrangement which 
Vol, L R bis 
