RELATIVE VIABILITY IN MAMMALS AND BIRDS. 463 



Regarding the potential longevity of Armadillos, I am unaware 

 of any recorded information. They live on carrion, insects and 

 vegetables, and the hind-gut is of very moderate relative capacity. 

 The record of 13 years for a Hairy Armadillo seems good, but the 

 average duration is very much less than that. Throughout the 

 period in question most of the Ai'madillos were kept in the 

 interior of a badly ventilated and very warm room. 



Oapt. Flower records a duration of over 8 years for a Hairy 

 Armadillo. 



T,_ No. of Av. dur. Mnx. dur. 



MYRMECOPHAGID.E. i^^iv. in months, in months. 



My9'viecophagaj ahata(Gre:xt Ant-e&tar). 10 46 172 



Ta7nandua tetradacti/la (TA.mand\i?i Aiit- 12 10-8 60 



eater). 



The records of 14| years for a Great Ant-eater and 5 years for 

 a Tamandua Ant-eater are very much in excess of the average 

 duration of these animals. They have always been carefully 

 protected fi^om cold, and not allowed access to the open air. It is 

 plain that they are creatures of low viability compared with their 

 potential longevity, but that they have been subjected to very 

 unsuitable conditions. 



^ ^ No. of Av. dm-. Max. dur. 



MANID^. Indiv. in months, in mouths. 



Manistriciospis (White-heWied'PsiV.goMn). Ill 

 3I.(Pholidotis)gigantea{GisintFiingolm). Ill 



The records only testify to the failure to keep these animals in 

 captivity. 



Orycteropid^. 



Or i/cte7-opus capensis {G-a:pe Ant-heHi') ... 4 52 117 



0. cethiopicus (^JEihio])iein Aiit-hear) ... 1 17 17 



The record of over 9 years for a Cape Ant-bear gives an 

 indication that these animals are able to live to a considerable 

 age. The difference between the maximum and average durations 

 shows the low viability of these animals under the conditions of 

 their captivity. In the period in question they have been kept in 

 heated houses without access to open air. 



Su'mmary of Edentata, 



The most notable feature in the records is their great variation. 

 The maximum durations are sufficient to deduce from them that 

 these animals have a fairly high potential longevity which varies 

 roughly with their size, and that their viability is low under the 

 conditions in which they have been kept. 



