PENNANT. 155 



After leaving school, Pennant was sent to Ox- 

 ford, where his studies do not appear to have been 

 of any importance, so far as the subjects which 

 were taught were concerned. He did not take his 

 degree, and yet it is evident that he studied the 

 nature of things visible to him, and that he was 

 well read in the science of the day. His mind was 

 rather influenced by the writings of Linnaeus, and 

 in consequence he took an interest in mineralogy as 

 well as about natural history. Immediately after 

 leaving Oxford, Pennant began to travel about his 

 own country, and visited Cornwall. He examined 

 many of the mines, and studied the natural history 

 of the districts, but he did not publish anything, 

 being apparently an earnest student of what was 

 already known. When twenty-four years of age 

 an earthquake occurred at Downing, and Pennant 

 wrote a description of it, which was read before 

 the Royal Society and published in the " Philo- 

 sophical Transactions." This was a great honour 

 for so young a man. Animals, however, and their 

 shapes, habits, and similarities were his special 

 study, and he laboured hard, year after year, in 

 describing them. He got much practical knowledge 

 of those of our own country, and finally, at the age 

 of thirty-five, in 1761, he commenced the publication 

 of his first great work, the " British Zoology," which 

 was printed in large folio, and when complete con- 

 tained one hundred and thirty-two plates. He was 

 well known before this magnificent work appeared, 

 and Linnaeus had urged the University of Upsala to 



