6 
MEMOIR OF PENNANT. 
geology and mineralogy. A few years after, lie 
took a more extensive range to Ireland ; Imt here 
(“ such was the conviviality of the country”) his 
journal was never fit to he offered to the public. 
His literary works, at this time, were confinetl to 
papers written occasionally for the learned societies ; 
the first of which, on account of an earthquake felt 
at Downing, was published without his knowledge. 
Several others appear at times in the Philosophical 
Transactions, on geological subjects, and the descrip- 
tion of fossil remains. It was for one of those that 
he was elected a member of the Royal Society of 
Upsal, upon the recommendation of Linnarus. This 
he ever considered a very high compliment. “ In 
February 1757, I received the first and greatest of 
my literary honours. I value myself the more on 
its being conferred on me at the instance of Linnseus 
himself. He spoke of my works in terms too fa- 
vourable for me to repeat.” 
The study required for the composition of these 
papers, and an extensive correspondence with men 
who were ardent admirers of his own pursuits, sug- 
gested the publication of some larger work. His 
attention was turned to the ■writings of his predeces- 
sors upon the productions of his own country, and 
he imagined that some of its rarities yet remained 
to be described. He also .saw that other nations 
were busily employed in studying whatever could be 
turned to use in their domestic economy; and in 
reference to the works which these thoughts imme- 
