Francis Willughby (1635­­–72) was one of a generation of natural scientists who, inspired by Francis Bacon’s new scientific method, began to write about the world using their own observations. He travelled around Britain and Europe with his close friend and teacher, the botanist John Ray (1627-1705), observing plants and animals in the wild, and visiting various collections to view specimens in detail.

Willughby died at the age of 36 and his extensive notes were collated with extra additions by Ray to produce two influential natural histories, his Ornithology (RCIN 1057809), a history of birds and this, the Historia Piscum, a history of fish.