The Hiftory of Life se Death, | 
The Black bird is reportédto be, amongft the leffer birds, dnc of the longeft livers ; 
an unhappy bird,anda good finger. nh ye q Youn 
* The Sparrow is noted to be of a very short life; and it is imputed in the Males to their 
afcivioutnefs. But the Linnet,no bigger in body than the Sparrew,, hath been obferved 
| to have lived twenty years. | hee 
Of the Effrich we have nothing certain: thofe that were kept here have been foun- 
fortunate, that no long life appeared by them. Of thebird /:s we find onely that lic 
liyethlong, but his years are not recorded, | ' My , 
_ The age of Fives is more uncertain than that of terreftrial Creatures, becaufe 
living under the water they are the lefs obferved: many of them breath not, by which: 
‘means their vital {pirit is more clofed in; and therefore though they receive {ome re- 
| | frigeration by their Gills, yet that refrigeration is not fo continual as when it is by 
breathing. , ! | phy i ths eo 
__ They are free from the Deficcation and Depredation of the Air ambient, becaufe they 
_| liveinthe water: yet there is no doubt but the water ambzent,and picrcing,and received 
into the pores of the body,doth more hurt to long life thanthe Air doth. 
At is affirmed too that their blood isnot warm. Some of them are great-devourers, 
even of their own kind. Their fleth is fofter and more tender than that of terreftrial 
creatures : they grow exceedingly fat; infomuch that an incredible quantity of Oy! will 
be extracted out ofone#’hale. 
Dolphins ace reported to live about thirty years ; of which thing a trial was taken in 
fome of them by cutting off their tails: they grow untill tenyearsofage, 
|. That whichthey report of fome F/hes is {trange, that after a certain age theit bodies 
will wafte and grow very flender , onely their head and tail retaining their former 
greatne(s. SET ee tr vs Sheer aa 
_ There were found in Cafar’s Fifh ponds Lampreys to have lived threefcore years: 
they were grown fo familiar with long ufe, that crafus the Orator folemnly lamented 
one of them, Ph Wich PSMA Utd 
The Pske amoneft Fishes living in fresh water is found to laft longeft; f{ometimesto 
forty years: he isa Ravener,of aflesh fomewhat dryandfiims 
_ But the Carp, Bream, Tench; Eel, and thé like, are not held to live aboye ten 
years. 3 eran are 
, _ Salusons are quick of growth, short of life; foare Trouts: butthe Pearch is flow of 
growth, longof life. ns 
Touching that monftrous bulk of the Y hale or Ork,, how long it is weiled by vital 
fpirit, we,have received nothing certain; neither yet touching the Sea-calf, and Sea-hog, 
and other innumerable Fz/hes. a ; is Ad He nae 
| ~ Crocodeles are reported to be exceeding long liy’d,aridare farnous for the time of their 
growth, for that they; arongft all other Creatures, are thought to grow during their 
| whole life: They are of thofe Creatures that lay Eggs, ravenous, cruel, and well-fenced 
_ | againft the waters, Touching the other kinds of shed-fi/b, we findnothing certain how 
long they lives . Cet te rey th 
ee Obfervations; 
} le “O find out a Ryle touching Length and Shortnels of Life #z Living Creatures és very 
_ difficult, by reafon of the negligence of Obférvations, and theintermixing of Canfes. A 
é 
few things wewill fer down, - id ESS Rea SS 
_,, There are more kinds of Birds found tobe long liv'd than of Bealts ; as the Eagle, the } 
Vulture, rhe Kite, rhe Pelican; the Raven, the Crow, the Swan, the Goole, the Stork, the 
| Crane, the Birdcalled the ibis, the Parrot; theRing dove, with the reff, though they come 
| ta their full growth withina year, and are lefs of bodses: furely their cloathing ts excellent 
good againft the diftemperatures of the weather ; and befides, living for the moft part in the 
, Open eAtir, they are like the Inhabitants of pure Mountains, which are long-liv'd. Again, 
| their Motion, which (as lelfe-where faid) #8 a mixt Motion, compounded of a moving of 
| their Limbs and of a carriage inthe Air, doth lefs weary and wear them, and ‘tis more whol- | 
| fome. Neither do they fuffer any compreffion or want of nourifbmentin their mother’s bel- \, 
pe betaufethe Eggs are laid by turns. But the chicfeft caufe of all I take to be chis,; that 
Birds are made more of the fubftance of the Mother than of the F ather,whereby their Spirits 
are not fo eager and hot. 3 
ie D2 | ii. 
