40 THE BIRDS OF SHERWOOD FOREST. 



died in August, 1859, about the age of 300 years. 

 And it is worth mentioning, as an instance of the length 

 of life attained under favourable circumstances, a fact 

 always difficult to ascertain of wild animals. The bird 

 in question was so noted as to deserve a special obituary 

 by the editor of the West Sussex Gazette. He says : 

 "These owls have become almost as famous as the 

 Saxon keep which they occupy. They are very peculiar, 

 and perch up in the niches of the citadel, looking on 

 visitors with a pride which seems to bespeak the dignity 

 of a connexion with the ancient house of Howard. 

 Since their introduction only about six have been added 

 to the family, so that the race is not likely to become 

 common. They usually live to a green old age, but 

 none have ever before passed over a hundred summers. 

 This bird must have been hatched in the reign of 

 George II. Four kings have passed away since it first 

 saw the light, and many Dukes of Norfolk have been 

 numbered with the dead. 



"The recently-departed owl was the famous 'Lord 

 Thurlow ' of the keep, in connexion with which a ludi- 

 crous anecdote is told. It was formerly the custom of 

 the castellan to give each of these birds a name, and 

 from their singularly wise appearance they were invari- 

 ably named after some celebrated dignitary of the law. 

 One was called Lord Eldon, and the subject of this 

 notice was dubbed Lord Thurlow, we presume in total 

 ignorance of the sex of the bird, which was in reality of 

 the feminine gender. It happened one time that the 

 famous Chancellor, Lord Thurlow, was ill, and much 

 political anxiety was felt at the circumstance. The 

 Duke of Norfolk was desirous of learning the latest 

 intelligence of the learned man, and as he was riding 



