244 LOKGIVITY Or ANIMALS. 0£l. 26, 



On the Lofigiui/y of A:ilinals. 



X HElgigthof life that animals vould naiurally attain, 

 lias been in few cafes exaQly afcertained. DomelHc 

 animals, for tlie moll part, are either facrificcd for 

 the purpofes of oeconomy, or deilroyed by accident, 

 long before they reach the period that nature had af- 

 figned to them •, and wild animals, are but in few 

 cafes, the ohjecls of accurate obfervation. It is merely 

 from accidental circumftances that the natural duration 

 of the life of either of thefe can be afcertained. 



Of ali domeftic animals, the flieep, and the cat feem 

 to be the fliorteft lived. The flieep at five or fix year-? 

 of age ufualiy lofles its teeth fo much as to be able 

 with difficulty, after that period to collect; food fuffici- 

 tint for its fubfiftance; and few. cats outlive the period 

 of eight or ten years. The dog lives longer. I have 

 liad three dogs myfelf that all attained the age of fifteen 

 or fixteen, and ail of them fuffered violent deaths at 

 Jaft. Another that died of old age, was known witli cer- 

 tainty to be more than 21 years old, probably it might 

 be a year or two more, but this could not be accurately 

 afcertained. Many horfes have been known to exceed 

 thirty, and fome, I think, have been known to live 

 nearly half a century. The cow feldom continues to 

 have good teeth beyond ten or twelve years. 



But of all kinds of terreilial animals, the feathered 

 tribe fcem to be fufceptible of the greateft longivity. 

 A tame goofe has been known to live a hundred years, 

 and fwans are apparently equally long lived. Among the 

 wild fowls p few accidental cafes have been recorded, that 

 tend to prove that they in general live very long. To 

 which lift I be^ to add the following cafe, which I had 

 from the moft undoubted authority. 



