MISCELLANEA. 
239 
AGE OF ANIMALS. 
A bear rarely exceeds 20 years ; a dog lives 20 years ; a 
wolf 20; a fox 14 or 16; lions are long-lived. Pompey lived 
to the age of 70. The average of cats is 14 years ; a squirrel 
and hare 7 or 8 years; rabbits 7. Elephants have been 
known to live to the great age of 400 years. When Alex- 
ander the Great had conquered one Porus, King of India, he 
took a great elephant which had fought very valiantly for the 
king, named him Ajax, and dedicated him to the sun, and let 
him go with this inscription — “ Alexander, the son of Jupiter, 
had dedicated Ajax to the Sun.” This elephant was found 
354 years after. Pigs have been known to live to the age of 
30 years ; the rhinoceros to 20. A horse has been known to 
live to the age of 62, but averages 20 to 25. Camels some- 
times live to the age of 100. Stags are long-lived. Sheep 
seldom exceed the age of 10. Cows live about 15 years; 
Cuvier considers it probable that whales sometimes live to 
the age of 1000. The dolphin and porpoise attain the age of 
SO. An eagle died at Vienna at the age of 104 years. 
Ravens have frequently reached the age of 100. Swans have 
been known to live 360 years. Mr. Mallerton has the ske- 
leton of a swan that attained the age of 290 years. Pelicans 
are long-lived. A tortoise has been known to live to the age 
of 107. 
WELL DONE, BROTHER JONATHAN. 
The Southern Planter says : A few days ago we met a 
gentleman from Alabama, who gave us a piece of information 
in regard to ascertaining the age of a horse, after he or she 
has passed the ninth year, which was new to us, and will be, 
we are sure, to most of our readers. It is this : after the 
horse is nine years old, a wrinkle comes on the eyelid at the 
upper corner of the lower lid, and every year thereafter he 
has one well- defined wrinkle for each year of his age over 
nine. If, for instance, a horse has three wrinkles, he is 
twelve ; if four, he is thirteen. Add the number of wrinkles 
to nine, and you will always get it. So says the gentleman ; 
and he is confident it will never fail. As a good many people 
have horses over nine, it is easily tried. If true, the horse- 
dentist must give up his trade. 
