MEMOIR OF RAY. 
25 
rived from books. The only enumeration of British 
plants that had been attempted was by William 
Howe, in his Phytologia Britannica, published in 
1650. But that work was too meagre and inaccu- 
rate to be of much service, and the Pinax rerum 
Bntannicarum of Merret, which professed to give 
the history of every kingdom of nature, was equally 
undeserving of commendation. Ray was therefore 
obliged to rely on the contributions of his numerous 
friends, and his own industry. He travelled through 
the greater part of England and Wales, zealously 
investigating the indigenous plants ; nor did he ne- 
glect the opportunity which these excursions afford- 
ed, of examining every thing that was new or interest- 
ing either in nature or art. Local and general history, 
traditions, antiquities, provincial language and man- 
ners, occasionally shared his attention with the more 
direct objects of his research. He kept a journal 
of his proceedings, in which he recorded his observa- 
tions, and inserted the localities of the rarer plants. 
This curious production was published after his 
death by Dr Derham, under the title of Itineraries . 
In 1661 he made a journey into Scotland, accompa- 
nied by his scientific friends Mr Willughby and Mr 
Skippon, to examine the natural productions of that 
country, which were even less known than those of 
England. His route lay through Berwick, Dunbar, 
and Edinburgh. On their way to the latter place, 
the party visited the Bass Island, — a spot probably 
of more interest to the ornithologist than almost any 
