Longevity cannot be measured by the few isolated 

 specimens of the more immune species that are from 

 time to time held up as flourishing examples, the 

 while that hundreds and thousands perish under the 

 like conditions within a few months, or weeks, or even 

 days of their capture. Of these multitudes no mention 

 is made, though as we have seen, something of the 

 truth leaks out in the use of the word " delicate." 



But to recur to the definitely expressed statement 

 that these birds cannot be kept alive in captivity with- 

 out egg food : — an older experience than has fallen to 

 any European people proves that they can. China is 

 a country densely occupied by at least 400,000,000 

 (some authorities say 600,000,000) inhabitants, who are 

 characterized according to an acute observer -'' by the 

 possession of "keen critical faculties." The same 

 writer in another of her standard works on this 

 country states that among all classes there is shewn an 

 extraordinary fondness for aviculture, which is de- 

 scribed as " one of the pleasant features of the 

 national character." Even when gentlemen take a 

 country walk they almost invariably carry at least 

 one bird-cage with them, to give its occupant some 

 fresh air and the chance of any insect that may be 

 caught. We gather from a monumental work of 

 another well-known writerf that this country possesses 

 records, extending back for no less than 6,000 years, 

 which shew that even at that remote period the 

 civilization and habits of to-day were as crystalized 

 as they are now, and that therefore the evolution 

 of these habits must have covered unknown centuries 

 previously. 



What do we find in this hugely populated country 

 that apparently knows no change ? Mr. F. Finn and 



• Little, Lt Hung-chang, His Life and Times, page 5. 

 tSani. I^aingf. Human Origins. 1892. 



