T)r Richard Paniell. 7 



Indies, and thereafter to the United States, and there found in 

 the strange fishes of tliese seas what deeply interested him. 

 He has left not only elaborate notes on these fishes, but also a 

 series of most exquisite drawings of them, some of these 

 drawings being marvels of colour. In that year he was, by 

 the Boston (Massachusetts) Society of Natural History, elected 

 a corresponding member. In 1842 he published his great 

 work on The Grasses of Scotland, which was afterwards 

 enlarged and republislied as The Grasses of Britain. It is 

 still the standard work on that subject. It is worthy of note 

 that he not only collected the whole of the 124 grasses there 

 illustrated, but also himself engraved the plates. These 

 engravings are extremely fine. 



" His note-books of the following year (1843) are tilled with 

 notes on the flora of those parts of France, Germany, and 

 Austria which he that year visited in company with the late 

 Misses Walker of Drumsheugh. Of late years he twice visited 

 Egypt, making special study of the fishes of the Nile and 

 Canal, and of the many varieties of bats found in the Egyptian 

 caves and temples. He had previously found one such new 

 to science, and which by the authorities of the British 

 Museum has been named after the discoverer. It is to be 

 hoped that his drawings and great and most interesting collec- 

 tion of stuffed fishes (all prepared by himself) may find 

 their way to our Edinburgh Museum.* Dr Parnell's appear- 

 ance was very striking — tall and well made, with a large, 

 finely-shaped head, regular features, and a countenance kindly 

 and full of intelligence. He married a daughter of the late 

 James Curie of Evelaw, who survives him. 



"The studies of this able, earnest student of nature do not 

 appear to have shaken his faith in the Great Designer. In 

 one of his note-books we find the following note or extract : — 

 ' He who does not make himself acquainted with God from 

 the consideration of nature will scarcely acquire knowledge of 

 Him from any other source ; for if we have no faith in the 

 things which are seen, how shall we believe those things 

 which are not seen ? In short, natural history, or the study 

 of nature, may be reckoned as the parent of natural religion : 

 it teaches us to look from nature up to nature's God.' He 



* Since his death tlif Herbarium at the Botanic Garden has liocn cniiched 

 I'V the entire collection of plants received from Mrs Parnell. 



