Birth and Parentage of Ray--He receives the Rudiments of his Education at Braintree School--At the age of Sixteen enters at Katherine Hall, Cambridge--Removes to Trinity College, where he passes through various Gradations, and becomes a Fellow--Publishes his Catalogue of Cambridge Plants, and undertakes several Journeys--Extracts from his Itineraries--Resigns his Fellowship--Becomes a Member of the Royal Society--Publishes his Catalogue of English Plants, &c.--Death of his most intimate Friend, Mr Willughby--Character of that Gentleman--Mr Ray undertakes the Education of his Sons, and writes a Vocabulary for their Use--Notice of Dr Lister--Several Works published by Mr Ray, who improves and edits Willughby's Notes on Birds and Fishes--Continues his scientific Labours--Remarks on the Scoter and Barnacle--Letters of Dr Robinson and Sir Hans Sloane--Notice respecting the latter--Publication of the Synopsis of British Plants, the Wisdom of God manifested in the Works of Creation, &c.--Estimate of the Number of Animals and Plants known--Synopsis of Quadrupeds and Serpents--Classification of Animals--Various Publications--Ray's Decline--His last Letter--His Ideas of a Future State, and of the Use of the Study of Nature--His Death, Character, and principal Writings. The distinguished individual whose history we are about to sketch, and who is considered by many persons of the present age as the greatest naturalist that Britain has yet produced, was born on the 29th November 1628, at Black Notley, near Braintree in Essex. His father, Roger Wray, was a blacksmith,--a circumstance which affords another proof that natural history has had among its most successful cultivators men of all stations in society, from the lowest to the highest. He received the rudiments of his education at Braintree School, under the care of a Mr Love, who, it seems, was but indifferently qualified for his office. Young Wray, however, profited so well by his opportunities of acquiring knowledge, that at the age of sixteen he was sent to the University of Cambridge, where he entered at Katherine Hall in June 1644. As it is not stated that on this occasion he had to draw on the generosity of any of his rich neighbours, it is to be presumed that his father was in prosperous circumstances. At the end of a year and three-quarters he removed to Trinity College, where he had the good fortune to have for his tutor Dr Duport, a man of great learning, under whose direction he acquired considerable skill in the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages. About three years afterwards he was chosen Minor Fellow of Trinity, at the same time with his friend the celebrated Isaac Barrow; and, after passing through the usual gradations, was appointed Greek lecturer of the College in October 1651, Mathematical lecturer in October 1053, and Humanity reader in October 1655.