330 HISTORY OF 



is no doubt but the water, ambient, and piercing, and re 

 ceived into the pores of the body, doth more hurt to long 

 life than the air doth. 



41. It is affirmed, too, that their blood is not warm. 

 Some of them are great devourers, even of their own kind. 

 Their flesh is softer and more tender than that of terrestrial 

 creatures ; they grow exceedingly fat, insomuch that an 

 incredible quantity of oil will be extracted out of one 

 whale. 



42. Dolphins are reported to live about thirty years ; of 

 which thing a trial was taken in some of them by cutting 

 off their tails, they grow until ten years of age. 



43. That which they report of some fishes is strange, 

 that after a certain age their bodies will waste and grow 

 very slender, only their head and tail retaining their former 

 greatness. 



44. There were found in Csesar s fishponds lampreys to 

 have lived threescore .years ; they were grown so familiar 

 with long use, that Crassus, the orator, solemnly lamented 

 one of them. 



45. The pike, amongst fishes, living in fresh water is 

 found to last longest, sometimes to forty years; he is a 

 ravener, of a flesh somewhat dry and firm. 



46. But the carp, bream, tench, eel, and the like, are not 

 held to live above ten years. 



47. Salmons are quick of growth, short of life ; so are 

 trouts ; but the perch is slow of growth, long of life. 



48. Touching that monstrous bulk of the whale or ork, 

 how long it is weiled by vital spirit, we have received no 

 thing certain ; neither yet touching the sea-calf, and sea- 

 hog, and other innumerable fishes. 



49. Crocodiles are reported to be exceeding long lived, 

 and are famous for the times of their growth, for that they, 

 amongst all other creatures, are thought to grow during 

 their whole life. They are of those creatures that lay eggs, 

 ravenous, cruel, and well fenced against the waters. Touch 

 ing the other kinds of shell fish, we find nothing certain 

 how long they live. 



Observation. 



To find out a rule touching length and shortness of life 

 in living creatures is very difficult, by reason of the negli 

 gence of observations, and the intermixing of causes. A 

 few things we will set down. 



1. There are more kinds of birds found to be long lived 



