a4^ Account of a Parrot hatched at Rom$. 



and that of the incubation of birds, in regard to the duration 

 of life. Thus we obferve that, among quadrupeds, the ele- 

 phant, which lives from 150 to 200 vears, goes with voung 

 24 months; and that the camtl, which goes wiih young 

 12 months, lives ^o or 50 years. Among birds, the fwan, 

 which fits 43 days, and the parrot, which fits 40 days, are 

 thole which live lon^eft, their Hie exceeding 100 years. In 

 looking over this table, the fame relation appears to be pre- 

 ferved. The horfe and afs, which have the fame period of 

 gedation, live nearly the fame time; that is to fay, 26 or 

 30 years. The domcftic fowl and pigeon, which have nearly 

 the fame period of incubation, attain to the fame age; and 

 the cafe is the fame with the goal and the flieep, as well as 

 with the canary-bird and the linnet. 



I muft, liow ever, conftfs, that in thefe tables there are two 

 very itriking exceptions. The ftag, among f]uadrupeds, goes 

 with young a month lefs than the mare, and vet lives about 

 ten years longer: and, among the birds, I obferve that the 

 crow, which fits only twenty days, lives fa^- beyond J 00 years, 

 according to Hefiod and fcveraf other obfervers. 



Thefe exceptions rtili further prove that our knowledge re- 

 fpefting this part of natural hifiory is very limited, and^rove 

 the neceffity of making more obfervations, Befides, the dif- 

 ficulty of aicertaining the exacl duration of the life of qua^ 

 drupeds is equally great as that experienced in afcerlaining 

 the duration of the life of birds, fince thefe obfervations can 

 be made only on a fniall number. of individuals, taken, for 

 the mod: part, in a flale of domefticity; and M. de Buffon 

 fagely remarks, that man, wifliing for continual enjoyment, 

 fhortens the period. 



It, notwithftanding thefe exceptions, fome relation has 

 boon iuppofed to be found between the time employed for 

 perfect growth, and the duration of life, it appears, from a 

 view of this tal)le, that there is a more dircft c -uneAion be- 

 tween it and the time of geitation : nature alio fecms to have 

 prefervcd a kind of connecf ion between the time employed in 

 gedation and that of incubation in regard to the duration of 

 tile life of birds and quadrupeds. 



The period of the incubation of the parrot, which no na- 

 turalift had before obicrved, has kd me into confiderations 

 fomewhat prolix- ; but ideas fuggeiicd merely as hints, when 

 aided by experience and more correil obfervation, often con- 

 dudl to important truths. 



XLL De~ 



