LONGEVITY. 345 



of two and twenty years and, though now above 

 five and twenty years of age, retains all her powers 

 perfectly, without any diminution, or symptom of 

 decrepitude ; the fineness of limb, brilliancy of eye, 

 and ardour of spirit, are those of the colt, and 

 though treated with no remarkable care, she has 

 never been disabled by the illness of a day, or sick- 

 ened by the drench of the farrier. With birds it is 

 probably the same as with other creatures, and the 

 eagle, raven, parrot, &c., in a domestic state attain 

 great longevity ; and though we suppose them natu- 

 rally tenacious of life, yet, in a really wild state, they 

 would expire before the period which they attain 

 when under our attention and care. And this is 

 much the case with man, who probably outlives 

 most other creatures ; for though excess may often 

 shorten, and disease or misfortune terminate his 

 days, yet naturally he is a long-lived animal. His 

 ' three score years and ten* are often prolonged by 

 constitutional strength, and by the cares, the loves, 

 the charities of human nature. As the decay of his 

 powers awakens solicitude, duty and affection in- 

 crease their attentions, and the spark of life only 

 expires when the material is exhausted*/' 



The birds most celebrated for longevity are the 

 raven, the pelican, and the eagle, though the evi- 

 dence which we have met with, in proof of the com- 

 mon opinion respecting the long life of these birds, 

 is not always so satisfactory as we could wish. 

 To these may be added the sky-lark, which has been 

 known to live in a cage, as Olinaf says, ten years ; 

 while Raczynski mentions an instance in which one 

 lived twenty-four years J." 



* Journ. of a Nat. p. 181, 1st edit. 



f Ucceliiera, fol. Roma, 1684. 

 J Hist, Nat. Poloniae, 4to. Gaed. 1745. 



