1880.] 



LIFE OF ANIMALS IN ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 



319 



order the lifetime of which is ascertained follows fo the impos- 

 sibility of giving definite dates for the duration of life of Rabbits, 

 Guinea-pigs, and some other small species of the same kind. 



Sheep and Goats cause the differences between the numbers re- 

 specting Ruminantia. 



We were also obliged to leave out of consideration several sorts of 



Parrots 

 and 



Pigeons 



namely, Nymphicus, Bolborhynchus, and others. Of Fowls 

 only the wild species have been selected for the 

 register. 



The results are as follows : — 



205 Mammals : total of age, 829 years II months 27 days ; mean 

 duration of life per head, 3 years 9 months 26 days. 



784 Birds: total of age, 3.549 years — months 7 days; mean 

 duration per head, 4 years 4 months 23 days. Together, 989 

 animals, 4379 years — months 4 days ; mean duration of life per 

 head, 4 years .5 months 6 days. 



The mean duration of life of the animals which died in the year 

 1879 is 2 years 4 months 27 days. This, so much shorter time than 

 that mentioned before, will be easily explained by the fact that the 

 mortality is much greater in the first days after the arrival of 

 animals in a zoological garden. 



I am certain that similar statistics would give very useful hints to 

 persons interested in such matters ; and I wish that this branch of 

 knowledge were cultivated more specially than it has been heretofore, 



Specification of Average Lifetime. 



Mammalia. 

 Quadrumana... 



Ohiroptera 



Carnivora 



Eodentia 



Marsupialia ... 



Equidre 



Pachydermata 

 Ruiniuantia ... 



AVEB. 



Accipitres ... 



Striges 



Psittaci 



PassereB 



Columbai ... 



Gallina3 



Strutbiones 



Grallae 



Natatores ... 



Number of t Number of 

 animals at ' animals the 

 hand ! age of which is ' 

 Jan. 1, 1880. I ascertained. ' 



36 

 1 



42 



60 

 6 



10 



7 



103 



33 



5 



108 



260 



86 



83 



1 



84 



389 



36 

 1 



42 

 8 

 6 



10 

 7 



95 



33 



5 



54 



233 



17 



22 



1 



64 



355 



Total of age. 



yrs. 



88 

 



154 

 24 

 19 

 88 

 31 



418 



149 



8 



347 



492 



47 



49 



8 



328 



2121 



mths, 





 2 

 7 

 10 

 6 

 8 

 2 

 9 



1 

 4 

 7 

 4 

 9 

 

 7 

 

 11 



days 



22 

 29 

 23 



1 

 16 



2 

 23 



1 



26 

 16 

 23 

 10 

 17 

 18 

 14 

 6 

 28 



Mean age of 

 individuals. 



yrs. mths 



5 

 2 

 8 

 1 

 3 

 10 

 5 

 4 



5 

 1 

 9 

 2 

 7 

 1 

 11 



days 



12 



29 



8 



7 



3 

 16 

 18 



28 



9 

 6 

 6 

 11 

 26 

 23 

 14 

 15 

 26 



Proc. Zool. See— 1880, No. XXI. 



31 



