The Ray Society is a scientific text publication society that publishes works devoted principally to British flora and fauna. As of 2019, it had published 181 volumes. Its publications are predominantly academic works of interest to naturalists, zoologists, botanists and collectors.
5-627: The society was founded in 1844, largely on the initiative of George Johnston and named after the naturalist John Ray (1627–1705). It is based at the Natural History Museum, London , and is a registered charity under English law. The Ray Society's publications are concerned with natural history, and have special but not exclusive reference to British flora and fauna. They include original monographs on particular groups and topics, facsimiles of historically important volumes and translations of existing works. During Charles Darwin 's lifetime,
10-552: The Ray Society published not only Darwin's two volumes on living barnacles (1851 and 1854) but also the work of many of the foremost British naturalists: Thomas Henry Huxley , William Crawford Williamson , John Blackwall , Albert Günther , James Scott Bowerbank , etc. Recent publications have included: A complete list of all volumes is available on the Society's website. University College London holds c. 150 items published by
15-501: The Ray Society, a near complete set of works between 1844 and 1996. George Johnston (naturalist) George Johnston (1797 – 1855) was a Scottish physician and naturalist . Johnston was one of the founders of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club and became its first president. His books include The Flora of Berwick-upon-Tweed , History of British Zoophytes , and History of British Sponges and Lithophytes . He
20-818: Was born at Simprin , Berwickshire , on 20 July 1797. When he was still young, his family moved to Ilderton in Northumberland. Johnston was educated first at Kelso , then at Berwick grammar school , and finally at the University of Edinburgh . He was apprenticed to John Abercrombie , and in 1817, qualifying as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh , he went to London. In 1818 Johnston began practice at Berwick-on-Tweed , where he remained. On 23 November 1819 he married Catharine Charles . Catharine illustrated many of his publications. Also in 1819 he graduated M.D. of Edinburgh, and in 1824 became F.R.C.S.E. He
25-556: Was thrice mayor of Berwick, and became LL.D. of Aberdeen. He retired from practice in 1853, and died at Berwick on 30 July 1855. He was one of the founders of the Ray Society and of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club. Johnston's independent works were: Johnston was from 1837 one of the editors of the Magazine of Zoology and Botany , later the Annals and Magazine of Natural History . To it,
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