500 DR. p. CHALMERS MITCHELL OX LONGEVITY AND 



Summary of PsittacL 



Popular repute and exact records agree in assigning a high 

 potential longevity to Parrots. Metchnikoff {op. cit. p. 52) cites 

 on the authority of Levaillant a Grey Parrot of 93 years, on that 

 of Butler, a Sulphur-crested Cocka.too of 81 years, on that of 

 Abrahams, an Amazon of 102 years, whilst he himself owned an 

 Amazon which died at an age between 70 to 75 years. The 

 figures in Mr. J. H. Gurney's list [op. cit. p. 36) are lower, the 

 highest being a Blue Macaw of 64 years. The figures of 

 maximum dui-ation at the Gardens are very much lower in most 

 cases. A Greater Yasa Parrot (already cited by Gurney) lived 

 for 54 years. With regard to the others the figures of maximum 

 duration are distributed nearly equally throughout the different 

 groups of Psittaci ; thus an Amazon and a Banksian Cockatoo 

 reached about 26 years, a Macaw 23 years, a Coniire, a Pceocepha- 

 lus Parrot and a small Parrakeet 20 years, a Nestor 19 years, a Lory 

 18 years, and a Lorikeet 17 years, whilst there are at present 

 alive a Lesser V"asa Parrot which has lived in the Gardens for 

 26 years, and a Lorikeet of 17 years' duration. 



I have no information as to the ages of the Parrots on their 

 arrival at the Gardens, but as in an assemblage of 1480 birds, 

 selected at random so far as age is concerned, there must have 

 been many young birds, the maximum ages attained would 

 appear to show that Parrots have not a high viability under the 

 conditions to which they have been subjected, as otherwise there 

 would have been a more frequent and closer approach of maximum, 

 duration to potential longevity. The records of average duration 

 are not more favourable. The great majority of the birds had an 

 average duration of somewhei-e between 2 and 4 years, a few such 

 as the Lorikeets, Cockatoos, Conures, and Caiques were in most 

 cases between 4 and 6 years, whilst the Macaws usually showed 

 averages of over 6 years. I can see only the vaguest possible 

 correlation between average and maximum durations and size, but 

 on the whole there are more of the larger birds amongst the 

 higher figures. 



As we know that Psittaci have a high potential longevity, it 

 is clear that either the conditions under which they are kept in 

 captivity are markedly unfavourable, or tha,t these birds have a 

 low viability. In the period in question, the examples of this 

 group were kept in a rather crowded house, well warmed in cold 

 weather. A certain nvimber of them were placed out of doors 

 (chiefly Macaws and Cockatoos) in good weather, but were 

 chained to perches. The vast majority of them were in relatively 

 small cages, and never had access to open air, whilst none had 

 the opportunity of flying. It is of course clear that exceptional 

 individuals can do well without exercise, and it is highly 

 probable that at least most of the birds cited as instances of high 

 longevity, were kept in cages or on stands. But it is equally 

 clear that such conditions, and in particular the absence of fresh 

 air, are not favovii-able. 



