Ages to which Birds live. 21 



Agairij in Knapp^s ' Journal of a Naturalist/ tine duration 

 of animal life is discussed at p. 180. Remarking on the 

 longevity of the Eagle, Raven, and Parrot in a captive con- 

 dition, the author opines that " in a really wild state they 

 would expire before the period which they attain when under 

 our attention and care;" and again he says "it is probable 

 that few animals in a perfectly wild state live to a natural 

 extinction of life." 



It is easier to subscribe to the second opinion here ex- 

 pressed than to the first. Cage-birds are too often neglected 

 to have an easy time of it, but perhaps a semi-domesticated 

 bird like Cygnus olor has the best chance of longevity of 

 any. 



It is more than probable that some families, and it 

 may be even allied genera, attain a greater age than others, 

 and to elicit information on this head has been one object of 

 inquiry. The tenacity of life in Sarcorhamphus gryphus and- 

 Gyps fulvus is great, and all Eagles and carrion-eating birds 

 are reputed to exist a long time without food ; a neglected 

 Aquila chrysaetus, for example, lived 21 days. 



Some of the sea-birds can fast a very long time, such as 

 Pvffinus anglorum. A Somateria mollissima of Mr. St. Quin- 

 tin^s had no food for 28 days, and a Dlomedea nigripes of 

 Mr. Robert Swinhoe^s none for 35. The young of Dlomedea 

 has been thought to live on its own fat, and it is said that 

 Aptenodytes demersa can live two months without a morsel 

 of food (Ibis, 1866, p. 321). These facts are suggestive, for 

 surely all such famine-proof birds must in the race for 

 life have an advantage over the weaker Passeres and Picaria. 

 Grass-Finches, Manikins, Waxbills, Cut-throats, &c., what- 

 ever may be the case in Africa, can last a very short time 

 without seed in confinement here in England. The Columboi 

 and the Tetraonida and PhasianidcB also contain genera which 

 seem to want food often, even in a wild state. 



The following is a selection of genera for comparison, 

 indicative of their normal length of life, from the list of ages 

 to be presently given : — 



