Jan. 7^th. 1770.

Dear Sir

Your acceptable favour of the 30^th. of Nov^r. arrived here in due time. Your account of the prices of provisions &c. claim my best thanks.

Your fish I believe to be the Perca marina of Linnaeus: it agrees so exactly with one I lately acquired: believe me that in general the numbers of Ray’s is a fallible guide to the knowledge of fish; so if other marks agree I readily give credit for a few rays more or less; and make this no objection to its being of a similar species, provided it agrees in other characters.¹ Next month I hope to publish the first part of my Iconical British Zoology of which I must beg your acceptance of a copy. My artist is now busy drawing your mollusca &c., to enable me to perform my promise of returning them in spring with due interest in form of Flintshire ones &c. &c. I must beg the favour of you to continue your communicative disposition and enrich me with the mention of your new acquisitions in Zoology.

I shall be in London next month where I hope to have the pleasure of hearing from you. Please to direct to me at Mr. Mynotts Taylor in St. James’s street. I beg my complements to Mr. Oglevie; could he find means about that time to convey his new bird &c to London, I should be extremely glad.

You seem desirous of knowing what I am about. Perhaps I may forfeit your opinion of my sanity when I say I am going to form a universal Zoology as far as relates to the first four classes; and to treat it in divisions according to the four continents for example the quadrupeds, Birds, Reptiles, and fish of North America by themselves, South America by itself and thus, the three other quarters of the globe. You must know I am very fond of Geography so can indulge myself in Tracing my animals from Noah’s Ark till they had spread themselves over the face of the earth; a task I fear I shall often find in a
Dignus vindice nodus²
But howsoever we may stumble on many conjectures at least, which may serve for more able heads hereafter to build new systems on. Inclosed are a few prints of the work in hand that you may anticipate a little of it: I must now conclude with my best wishes and that

I am Dear Sir
Your faithful humble servant

Thomas Pennant

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Editorial notes

1. Pennant is referring to the practice of counting the number of spines or rays in the fins and tails of fish as a method of identifying the species.
2. A Latin expression signifying a difficult task that merits the undertaking.