Longevity of the Parrot, 347 



Art. III. Facts on the Measure of the Length of Life of a 

 Species of Parrot ; with Suggestions for ascertaining the Average 

 Period of Existence of the whole Animal Creation ; and an 

 Anecdote on a Parrot, By Mr. W. H. White. 



I called upon a friend on May 8. 1836; and, instead of 

 being met, in the usual way, with pleasant smiles and cheerful 

 faces, I perceived a general cast of sorrow in every counte- 

 nance. I was almost fearful of inquiring the cause : however, 

 I soon perceived that the universal gloom was occasioned by 

 the death of " Old Jokko," a favourite parrot, which is stated 

 to have been in the family 82 years ! Jokko appeared to 

 have died of old age, as his plumage had lost the brilliancy 

 of its colours; and, besides, it was very thin and ragged. 

 How Old Jokko was when he first became an inmate of the 

 family, I could not learn; but this much of his history I 

 obtained from his fair attendant, who acted the part of chief 

 mourner : " Jokko could talk when grandpa' first brought 

 him home." If from this piece of information we may infer, 

 that Jokko learnt to talk at as early an age as his young 

 mistress, we cannot reckon him at more than 85 years old: 

 but I strongly suspect him to have been much older, as he was 

 extremely weak and infirm. 



This appears to be an extraordinary age for a bird to live to 

 in a state of captivity, considering, too, the great difference 

 of climate from that in which he was bred : and yet I have 

 been told there is now living in London a parrot which has 

 been in the same family upwards of 100 years; but it is very 

 feeble, and shows every characteristic of extreme age. If the 

 thread of life has been carried to so great an extent in capti- 

 vity, may we not reasonably conclude that it is still further 

 extended in its natural state ? 



I am not aware of any work on the extent of the length of 

 the life of different species of animals, or, indeed, of any such 

 work ever having been attempted ; and yet I am persuaded 

 such a work would be highly useful during the present rapid 

 march of scientific inquiry. Now, if each contributor to this 

 Magazine were to send an account of such cases of old age 

 (no matter of what kind; whether beast, bird, fish, insect, or 

 reptile), as either came within the limit of his own observation, 

 or such as are furnished him upon unquestionable authority, 

 I am certain a very short space of time would bring to one 

 focus a great number of valuable facts, that would otherwise, 

 most probably, never find their way into the archives of 

 science : not because they (many of them, at least) might not 

 be recorded by the observer at the time, but for the want of a 



