FRANCIS WILLUGHBY. 61 
nascentium.” The foil owing' words occur in the 
preface : — “ Jam, quoniam honestum est fateri 
per quos profeceris, generossimi Juvenes, D. 
Franciscus Willughby et D. Petrus Courthope 
armigeri, natalium splendore, ingenii sublimitate, 
suavitate morum, fide, virtute illustres, non rei 
herbaria solum callentissimi, sed in omni litera- 
rum genere versatissimi, amici nostri, plurimum, 
honorandi, non sunt a nobis silentio transmittendi, 
ni ingrati aut arrogantes esse velimus. Florum 
opera nos seepius usos, et ab his non mediocriter 
adjutos fuisse, in hoc opusculo concinnando libere 
at ingenue profitemur.” At the time Mr Willughby 
rendered to Mr Ray the assistance which he 
acknowledges with such high encomiums, he 
could scarcely have been twenty-five years old. 
He had also by this time entered on the study of 
insects ; for referring to his discoveries in this 
department Mr Ray also writes in the Catalogus, 
p. 136 , — “ Ingeniosissimas vir et sedulus naturse 
indagator D. Franciscus Willughby and on 
page 137, — “ Observavit idem eruditissimus vir,” 
&c. 
Mr Nid died before the work was completed, 
as appears from these words in the same preface, 
— “ Interea temporis fatis concessit amicissimus 
ille noster et individuus comes' D. Joannes Nid, 
collegii S. ; et individuse Trinitatis apud Canta- 
brigienses socius senior meritissimus. Multis ille 
bonis flebilis occidit, nulli flebilior quam nobis.” 
Mr Ray preached his funeral sermon, in which 
he dwells much upon his many excellent qualities 
