Natural History in Wales. 439 
erdmary tourists, have chosen the present inclement season for their jeur- 
ney, and air and water as their vehicles. They have taken aquatic excur- 
sions every day since their arrival ; and, indeed, live on the lakes, where their 
stately company, oaring their white barges on the bosom of the dark blue 
waters, is much admired: their noble and graceful appearance indicate high 
rank in their station. Their title is Anas ; and they belong to the Cajstrian 
family of swans, a wild horde, who possess large territories in the northern 
parts of Asia, Europe, and America. The present party consists of about 
30 individuals, against whom, I am sorry to say, war has been unjustly 
waged, and some of them have lost their harmless lives. One of them, 
which came into my possession, measured 5 ft. in length, 7 ft. in breadth, 
and weighed 19 lbs. The peculiarity of formation of the windpipe in the 
wild swan has been described by more competent writers, therefore I shall 
not touch upon it. At a future time, I may, perhaps, furnish you with 
notices of several other visitors of these lakes, who deserve ornithological 
attention from the unfrequency of their wanderings to our inland parts, if 
you think them worthy of a place in your Magazine. I am, Sir, &c. — 
Philagros. E.L., Jan.31. 
Native Gold. — Casualties, if attended to, might often impart important 
hints; and these, followed up, conduct to some valuable end. The late Mr. 
Ireton of Ireton Hall, in Cumberland, informed me, that, in carving a pullet 
which had been reared on his farm, he discovered a pallet of native gold in 
contact with the breast-bone : it was nearly half an inch square ; and the pro- 
pability is, that the fowl had picked it up from the bed of a rivulet which 
flowed through part of his estate. —J. Murray. Carmarthen, April 2. 
HAMPSHIRE. 
A fine Leopard, « striped Hyena (a superb animal ), and several antelopes, 
have been just landed here from the Wolf brig, a present from the Emperor 
of Morocco to His Majesty. Owing to the ship being nearly wrecked at 
the back of the Isle of Wight, the animals were nearly destroyed : the ante- 
lopes were so weak, that the sailors brought them ashore in their arms; the 
leopard was perfectly tame, being at large on board ship. — H. 8. Ports- 
mouth, March 18. 
Art. IV. Natural History in Wales. 
LonGzvVITY of Men and Women.—Sir, I have sent you the following cases 
of very advanced age, which have occurred, since the commencement of the 
present year, in the principality. L should suppose that they are not equalled 
im any part of the British Isles ; for the deaths here noticed average about 
1 out of 20: at the same time, it must be remembered that the country is 
not very populous; and these deaths mostly occurred in the northern divi- 
sion, which is very remarkable for salubrity : — Catherine Hughes of Corwen, 
85; William Pritchard, Anglesey, 92; SirW. C. De Crespigny, Blaenpadernyn, 
97; Rey. E. Herbert, Caernarvonshire, 83; William Rowland, Caernarvon- 
shire, 88 ; Robert Owen, Caernarvonshire, 91; John Jones, Brecknock, 92 ; 
Dorothy Jones, Denbigh, 104; Hugh Rowlands, Esq., Caernarvon, 80; 
Jane Hughes, Beaumaris, 87; Arabella Jones, Anglesea, 82 ; Mary Jones, 
Glamorganshire, 97. These are all well authenticated, as I copied them 
from the provincial Welsh papers as they severally appeared. In looking 
over the list of deaths in the principality which occurred within the present 
quarter, and are noticed in the Cambrian quarterly, I find that, out of 40, 
there were 3 above 20, 6 above 30, 2 above 40, 7 above 50, 3 above 60, 
8 above 70, 6 above 80, 4 above 90, and | above 100: giving to each of the 
40 an average of 64. As the study of man is the most noble branch of 
natural history, it would be very desirable if your correspondents would 
