492 DR. p. CHALMEKS MITCHELL OX LONGEVITY AND 



regarded as being closely allied to the Cuckoos ; they have no 

 cfBca and a relatively uncapacions hind-gut, and their average 

 duration is considerably over a year, whilst examples have lived 

 over 7 years. The Upupidse have no cteca but a relatively 

 capacious hind-gut, and have a low viability. The Picidte and 

 Alcedinidse have no cfeca ; the hind-gut of the Woodpeckers is 

 certainly not specially capacious, and they must be regarded as 

 exceptions to the generalization; the Kingfishers are rather 

 better in viability, but in the family as a whole it is not good. 

 On the other hand, the Musophagidse, as I have already men- 

 tioned, the Momotidaj, the Coliidfe, the Capitonidge, the Rham- 

 phastidae, and Bucerotidse are all devoid of functional c£eca, have 

 relatively short and uncapacious hind-guts, and show amongst 

 Picarian birds the highest average and maximum durations. The 

 group appears to furnish considerable evidence for Metchnikoff" s 

 generalization as to the relation between long duration of life 

 and the absence of opportunity for intestinal putrefaction. 



It is interesting to note that Capt. Flower's only high Picarian 

 record, that of a Coly still alive after 5 yeai's' duration, is in my 

 records surpassed by three different species of the same genus. 



STRIGES. 



StrIGID^. ^'°;.°^ Av.dur. Max.dur. 



Indiv. in months, in months, 



Strix flammea (Barn Owl) 67 17-4 60 



Phodilus hadius (Bay Wood Owl) 1 50 50 



AsiONIDiE. 



Asio, whole genus 77 10 30 



J . &rac%o<«s (Short-eared Owl) 22 11 30 



A. mexicanus (Mexican Eared Owl) ... 2 15 15 



^. of MS (Long-eared Owl) 53 4 26 



AS'yr^imm, whole genus 71 21 134 



S. aluco (Tawny Owl) 60 18 47 



S. indranee (Indranee „) 4 55 134 



S. nebulosum{BsiYYQd. ,, ) 1 63 63 



aS*. rmcAftZe (Sharp's Wood-Owl) 2 20 28 



S. sine7ise (Pagoda Owl) 1 50 50 



S. personata (Spectacled „) 1 12 12 



S. iiralense (Ural ,,) 1 2 3 



S. xooodfordi (Woodford's ,,) 1 8 8 



^m6o, whole genus 88 32 111 



^. asca/ap/ms (Savigny's Eagle-Ow])... 1 34 34 



B. lengalensis (Bengal „ )... 3 32 64 

 B. blakistoni (Blakiston's „ )... 2 16 23 

 B. cor omandus {Cor ovu&n&iil „ )... 1 29 29 

 B. lacteus (Milky „ )... 2 58 99 

 B.maculosus (Spotted ,,)... 17 27 59 

 B. magellanicus{Ma.ge[\a.n\c ,,)... 1 7 7 

 B.maximus (Great „ )... 38 28 81 



