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Show 300 DR. MAX SCHMIDT ON THE DURATION OF [Apr. 20, its twenty-first anniversary. In this Journal I have recorded my observations, and not only those referring to the living animal, but at the same time those respecting the symptoms of disease previous to death, and the anatomical results of the autopsy. On the keeping of birds there exists a comparatively rich literature; aud special periodicals treat of this matter. Now it would be of great use if the age the different animals are able to arrive at could be ascertained ; and in order to contribute my share of experience, I added m y own knowledge to the few notices I could find in literature, and published them two years ago. I note with satisfaction that m y example has been followed by the Zoological Garden of Hamburg. For further completing these statistics I have drawn up the following two summaries. The first contains the duration of life of the different animals in our garden, as far as it could be ascertained, while the second expresses the average amount of life-time of the individual specimens of the different classes of Mammals and Birds. In reference to the first, I have to add that the record has been continued up to the 31st of December, 1879, and states how long the still living animals have been in our garden. It is evident that the numbers denote the real age only of those animals that were born there, while to that of the others the time they have lived before coming to our hands must be added. This difference cannot be estimated as very great, as the animals are generally acquired in their youth. Of course it is impossible to point out the age of every single specimen we have ever possessed, but only such numbers have been chosen as are sufficient to show distinctly how long such an animal is at all able to live. No notice has been taken of exceedingly short periods of existences, as it must be presumed that adverse circumstances were the cause of them. Wherever it was feasible the time of life has been given strictly to a day. In other cases only the number of years is recorded; and there can be, at the utmost, a difference of but a few months, more or less. Out of a greater number of statements concerning the same class, only those have been selected that show the principal variations of length of life. The numbers relating to animals that were still living on the 31st of December 1879 are marked with asterisks (*). The time of observation has not in all cases proved long enough for definite statements-some of the animals having been in our keeping only for a short time, while others that have lived in our Garden from its beginning are still enjoying life and health, and promise to live on for some time longer. |
