LONGEVITY. 217 
lived. But the progress to maturity must be slow 
in this species, compared to the duration of their 
life ; for towards the end of the first summer, when 
all the family consort together, it is difficult to dis- 
tinguish the old from the young, and very probably 
they are capable of breeding the second year.” 
Pigeons are reported to have lived from twenty to 
twenty-two years; and even linnets, goldfinches, 
and other small birds, have been known to live from 
fifteen to twenty-three years. 
Willoughby says, ‘‘ We have been assured by a 
friend of ours, a person of very good credit, that his 
father kept a goose, known to be fourscore years 
of age, and as yet sound and lusty, and like enough 
to have lived many years longer, had he not been 
forced to kill her for mischievousness, worrying 
and destroying the young geese and goslins.” In 
another part of his valuable work, this writer tells 
us, ‘that he has been assured by credible persons, 
that a goose will live a hundred years and more.” 
It has been supposed that the pelican derives its 
great longevity from the peculiar texture of its 
bones, which are thin, almost transparent, and ex- 
ceedingly light. Even in captivity it has been ob- 
served to be more tenacious of life than most other 
birds. ‘ Of a great number of pelicans kept in the 
menagerie at Versailles, none died in the space of 
twelve years ; yet during that time some of almost 
every other species of animals died.” 
It was reported, as Aldrovand has stated, by per- 
sons worthy of credit, that a pelican, eighty years 
of age (octogenariam), was kept by the emperor 
Maximilian, and was held as a sort of auspicator in 
his camp. It was supposed to have been hatched 
in the time of Philip the emperor’s father. It was 
afterward kept for a long time at the court of the 
empress, after it was no longer able, through old 
age, to use its wings, the expense of keeping it be- 
ing four crowns a day. ia mentions one which 
