40 THE BIRDS OF SHERWOOD FOREST. 
died in August, 1859, about the age of 100 years. 
And it is worth mentioning, as an instance of the length 
of life attained under favourable circumstances, a fact 
always difficult to ascertain of wild animals. The bird 
in question was so noted as to deserve a special obituary 
by the editor of the West Sussex Gazette. He says: 
“These owls have become almost as famous as the 
Saxon keep which they occupy. They are very peculiar, 
and perch up in the niches of the citadel, looking on 
visitors with a pride which seems to bespeak the dignity 
of a connexion with the ancient house of Howard. 
Since their introduction only about six have been added 
to the family, so that the race is not likely to become 
common. They usually live to a green oid age, but 
none have ever before passed over a hundred summers. 
This bird must have been hatched in the reign of 
George II. Four kings have passed away since it first 
saw the light, and many Dukes of Norfolk have been 
numbered with the dead. 
“The recently-departed owl was the famous ‘ Lord 
Thurlow’ of the keep, in connexion with which a ludi- 
crous anecdote is told. It was formerly the custom of 
the castellan to give each of these birds a name, and 
from their singularly wise appearance they were invari- 
ably named after some celebrated dignitary of the law. 
One was called Lord Eldon, and the subject of this 
notice was dubbed Lord Thurlow, we presume in total 
ignorance of the sex of the bird, which was in reality of 
the feminine gender. It happened one time that the 
famous Chancellor, Lord Thurlow, was ill, and much 
political anxiety was felt at the circumstance. The 
Duke of Norfolk was desirous of learning the latest 
intelligence of the learned man, and as he was riding 
