PENNANT, THOMAS, LL.D., tourist, naturalist, and antiquary, was b. June 14, 1726, at Downing in Flintshire, and educated at Queen's and Oriel colleges, Oxford. His first important publication was the British Zoology (1761-69), which contained in all 132 plates on imperial paper, engraved by Mazel, and established his reputation. While the work was in course of publication, Pennant made a trip to the continent, and saw some of the scientific and literary celebrities of the time, as Buffon, who has favorably men tioned bins in his great work on Natural History, Voltaire, Haller, the two Gesners, and Pallas. In 1769 he made the first of his famous tours in Scotland, penetrating to the remotest part of the country, which, he says, was then " almost as little known as liana. chatka." lie returned with a very good opinion of it, and published his report in 1771, in consequence of which (according to him) Scotland has "ever since been inortfige with southern visitants." The year he added 103 plates to his British Zoology, with descriptive notices; and in 1771 printed at Chester his Synopsis If Quadrupeds, subse quently enlarged and improved under the title of History of Quadrupeds. Of this work
Curler says; " It is still indispensable to those who wish to study the history of quadru peds." In the same year the university of Oxford conferred on him the degree of LL.D. Next year he undertook his second and most important tour in Scotland, which included a voyage to the Hebrides (an account of which appeared in 3 vols. 1775). Pennant was warmly welcomed by the inhabitants. Almost every co•porated town paid him some fo:mal compliment, and he returned " rich in civic honor." In 1773 he published his reenera of Buds, and made an antiquarian tour through the north of England. His sub sequent tours through Wales do not require special notice. In 1777 appeared a fourth volume of his British Zoology, containing the vermes, the crustaceous, and the testaceous :militias of the country. Among a great variety of later miscellaneous publications, we may mention in particular an arousing life of himself (Tile Literary Life of the lute Thomas Pen meat, Es.., by himself, 1703). He died Dec. 16, 1798.