UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549





                                  SCHEDULE 13G
                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                                (Amendment No. )*




                          Incyte Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)


                          Common Stock, $.001 par value
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                   45337C-10-2
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                October 15, 1998
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)

Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule
is filed:

|_|  Rule 13d-1(b)
|X|  Rule 13d-1(c)
|_|  Rule 13d-1(d)

*The  remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting  person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any  subsequent  amendment  containing  information  which  would  alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise  subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but  shall be  subject  to all other  provisions  of the Act  (however,  see the
Notes).







CUSIP No. 45337C-10-2                 13G
- ---------------------

- ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------
     1       NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
             I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON (ENTITIES ONLY)

             Four Partners
- ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------
     2       CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
                                                                      (a)   |_|
                                                                      (b)   |_|
- ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------
     3       SEC USE ONLY


- ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------
     4       CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

             New York
- ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      5      SOLE VOTING POWER

                                             1,372,700
           NUMBER OF
                                  ---------- ----------------------------------
             SHARES                   6      SHARED VOTING POWER
          BENEFICIALLY
            OWNED BY                         -0-
                                  ---------- ----------------------------------
              EACH                    7      SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
           REPORTING
             PERSON                          1,372,700
                                  ---------- ----------------------------------
              WITH                    8      SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                                             -0-

- --------------------------------- ---------- ----------------------------------
     9       AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

                      1,372,700
- ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------
    10       CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES
             CERTAIN SHARES*


                                                                            |_|
- ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------
    11       PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9

                      5.1%
- ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------
    12       TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

                      PN
- ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------






CUSIP No. 45337C-10-2                 13G
- ---------------------

- ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------
     1       NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
             I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON (ENTITIES ONLY)

             Four-Fourteen Partners LLC
- ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------
     2       CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
                                                                      (a)   |_|
                                                                      (b)   |_|

- ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------
     3       SEC USE ONLY


- ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------
     4       CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

             Delaware
- ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      5      SOLE VOTING POWER

                                             100,000
           NUMBER OF
                                  ---------- ----------------------------------
             SHARES                   6      SHARED VOTING POWER
          BENEFICIALLY
            OWNED BY                         -0-
                                  ---------- ----------------------------------
              EACH                    7      SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
           REPORTING
             PERSON                          100,000
                                  ---------- ----------------------------------
              WITH                    8      SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                                             -0-

- --------------------------------- ---------- ----------------------------------
     9       AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

                      100,000
- ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------
    10       CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES
             CERTAIN SHARES*


                                                                            |_|
- ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------
    11       PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9

                      0.4%
- ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------
    12       TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

                      OO
- ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------






Item 1.

              (a)   Name of Issuer

                    Incyte Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the "Issuer")

              (b)   Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices

                    3174 Porter Drive
                    Palo Alto, CA 94304

Item 2.

              (a)   Name of Persons Filing

                    This  Schedule 13G is being filed  jointly by Four  Partners
                    ("FP"), a New York general  partnership,  and  Four-Fourteen
                    Partners  LLC  ("4-14P"),   a  Delaware  limited   liability
                    company.

                    The sole partners of FP are Andrew H. Tisch 1991 Trust,  for
                    which  Andrew H. Tisch is the  managing  trustee,  Daniel R.
                    Tisch 1991 Trust,  for which Daniel R. Tisch is the managing
                    trustee, James S. Tisch 1991 Trust, for which James S. Tisch
                    is the managing trustee, and Thomas J. Tisch 1991 Trust, for
                    which  Thomas J. Tisch is the  managing  trustee.  Thomas J.
                    Tisch has been appointed the Manager of FP. Andrew H. Tisch,
                    Daniel R.  Tisch,  James S.  Tisch and  Thomas J.  Tisch are
                    referred to herein as the "Messrs. Tisch."

                    The  members  of 4-14P are  trusts  for the  benefit  of the
                    offspring of the Messrs. Tisch, partnerships the partners of
                    which are such trusts and partnerships the partners of which
                    are  such  partnerships.  The  Messrs.  Tisch  serve  as the
                    trustees of such trusts.  Thomas J. Tisch has been appointed
                    the Manager of 4-14P.

              (b)   Address of Principal Business Office or, if none, Residence

                    The mailing address of FP and 4-14P is:

                    c/o Thomas J. Tisch
                    667 Madison Avenue
                    New York, NY 10021

              (c)   Citizenship

                    FP is a New York general partnership and 4-14P is a Delaware
                    limited liability company.

              (d)   Title of Class of Securities

                    Common  Stock, $.001 par value (the "Shares")

              (e)   CUSIP Number

                    45337C-10-2



Item 3.       If this statement is filed pursuant to Rule 13d-1(b), or
              13d-2(b) or (c), check whether the person filing is a:

              (a)  |_| Broker or Dealer registered under Section 15 of the Act,

              (b)  |_| Bank as defined in section 3(a)(6) of the Act,

              (c)  |_| Insurance company as defined in section 3(a)(19) of the 
                       Act,

              (d)  |_| Investment company registered under section 8 of the 
                       Investment Company Act of 1940,

              (e)  |_| Investment Adviser registered under section 203 of the 
                       Investment Advisers Act of 1940,

              (f)  |_| An employee  benefit plan,  Pension Fund which is
                       subject  to the  provisions  of the  Employee  Retirement
                       Income  Security  Act of  1974  or  Endowment  Fund;  see
                       ss.240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F),

              (g)  |_| A parent  holding  company,  in  accordance  with
                       ss.240.13d-1(b)(ii)(G) (Note: See Item 7),

              (h)  |_| A savings  association as defined in Section 3(b)
                       of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813);

              (i)  |_| A  church  plan  that  is  excluded   from  the
                       definition  of  an   investment   company  under  section
                       3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C.
                       80a-3);

              (j)  |_| Group, in accordance with ss.240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J).

              If this statement is filed pursuant to ss. 240.13d-1(c), check
this box |X|.

Item 4.       Ownership

              (a)   Amount Beneficially Owned

                    As of the date hereof, FP is the beneficial owner of
                    1,372,700 Shares and 4-14P is the beneficial owner of
                    100,000 Shares. Collectively, FP and 4-14P own 1,472,700
                    Shares.

              (b)   Percent of Class

                    FP is the beneficial owner of 5.1% of the outstanding Shares
                    and 4-14P is the beneficial owner of 0.4% of the outstanding
                    Shares. Collectively, FP and 4-14P own 5.5% of the
                    outstanding Shares.

              (c)   Number of shares as to which the person has:

                     (i)   Sole power to vote or to direct the vote

                           FP has  directly  the sole power to vote or to direct
                           the  vote of the  1,372,700  Shares  owned  by it and
                           4-14P has



                           directly the sole power to vote or to direct the vote
                           of the 100,000 Shares owned by it.

                     (ii)  Shared power to vote or to direct the vote

                           By virtue of their status as managing trustees of the
                           trusts  which are the  general  partners of FP and as
                           trustees  of the trusts  which are  members of 4-14P,
                           partners  of the  partnerships  that are  members  of
                           4-14P  and  partners  of the  partnerships  that  are
                           partners  of the  partnerships  that are  members  of
                           4-14P,  the  Messrs.  Tisch  may be  deemed  to  have
                           indirectly shared power to vote or direct the vote of
                           the  1,372,700  Shares  owned  by FP and the  100,000
                           Shares owned by 4-14P.

                     (iii) Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of

                           FP has  directly  the sole power to dispose or direct
                           the  disposition of the 1,372,700  Shares owned by it
                           and 4-14P has  directly  the sole power to dispose or
                           direct the disposition of the 100,000 Shares owned by
                           it

                     (iv)  Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition
                           of

                           By virtue of their status as managing trustees of the
                           trusts  which are the  general  partners of FP and as
                           trustees  of the trusts  which are  members of 4-14P,
                           partners  of the  partnerships  that are  members  of
                           4-14P  and  partners  of the  partnerships  that  are
                           partners  of the  partnerships  that are  members  of
                           4-14P,  the  Messrs.  Tisch  may be  deemed  to  have
                           indirectly  shared  power to  dispose  or direct  the
                           disposition  of the 1,372,700  Shares owned by FP and
                           the 100,000 Shares owned by 4-14P.

Item 5.      Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class

             Not applicable.

Item 6.      Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person

             Not applicable.

Item 7.      Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired
             the Security Being Reported on By the Parent Holding Company

             Not applicable.

Item 8.      Identification and Classification of Members of the Group

             Not applicable.





Item 9.      Notice of Dissolution of Group

             Not applicable.

Item 10.     Certification

                    By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge
              and belief, the securities referred to above were not acquired and
              are not held for the  purpose of or with the effect of changing or
              influencing  the control of the issuer of such securities and were
              not  acquired  and  are  not  held  in  connection  with  or  as a
              participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect.








                                    SIGNATURE

              After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and
belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true,
complete and correct.

Dated:   October 23, 1998

                                          FOUR PARTNERS



                                     By:  /s/ Thomas J. Tisch
                                        ---------------------------
                                          Thomas J. Tisch
                                          Manager of Four Partners


                                          FOUR-FOURTEEN PARTNERS LLC



                                     By:  /s/ Thomas J. Tisch
                                        ---------------------------
                                          Thomas J. Tisch
                                          Manager of Four-Fourteen Partners LLC





                                                                     EXHIBIT

                                    AGREEMENT


         In accordance with Rule 13d-1(k)(1)  under the Securities  Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended,  the  undersigned  hereby agree that the Schedule 13G dated
October  23,  1998  relating  to the Common  Stock,  $.001 par value,  of Incyte
Pharmaceuticals,  Inc., as the same may be amended from time to time  hereafter,
is being filed with the Securities and Exchange  Commission on behalf of each of
them.

Dated:  October 23, 1998

                                          FOUR PARTNERS



                                     By:  /s/ Thomas J. Tisch
                                        ---------------------------
                                          Thomas J. Tisch
                                          Manager of Four Partners


                                          FOUR-FOURTEEN PARTNERS LLC



                                     By:  /s/ Thomas J. Tisch
                                        ---------------------------
                                          Thomas J. Tisch
                                          Manager of Four-Fourteen Partners LLC