188 
The Life and Work of John Ray. 
literature of oue of whom it has been said that he became, 
“without the patronage of an Alexander, the Aristotle of 
England, and the Linnseus of his age.” 
I would submit, however, that even this is not due justice 
to this hero of science ; since, though it cannot be urged that 
lie occupies a position in the history of philosophy approaching 
that of Aristotle, yet as a zoologist he was infinitely the 
superior of the ancient Greek naturalist; whilst, preceding 
Linnaeus by nearly a century, he not only established a 
natural, as distinguished from a merely artificial, system of 
classification for both plants and animals, but may be truly 
said to have been the first to recognise the paramount im¬ 
portance of system, not merely for purposes of reference, but 
as representing natural relationships. 
The memory of John Ray is thus adorned with the triple 
laurel crown of botanist, zoologist, and theologian, and as 
such should be honoured as one of the glories, not of Essex 
only, but of England and of the whole world of Science. 
[Prof. Boulger is preparing a complete bibliographical cata¬ 
logue of all Ray’s works, with notes on the various editions, 
which will form an appendix to the above paper. This cata¬ 
logue will probably be printed in a future part of the ‘ Trans¬ 
actions.’] 
