Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-07-27


tratcd Copenhagen" the famous steed
of the Duke of Wellington, at the age
of twenty-sevcn. But the wild horse
is supposed to attain a much greater
age; and there is n case on record, well
authenticated, OF pony, imported into
Berkshire, England, from Shetland, in
1856. living till 1S4S. Swine have been
known to live through thirty years, deer
eighteen, and camels fifty, though the
average ages of all these are much less.
The dog loses his sprightliness in his
sixth or seventh year, and has evidently
passed the bounds OF youth. Gray hairs
are here and there upon him at the
close Of his eighth year, chiefly around
the eyes and at the corners of his mouth.
Such appearances become more con
spicuous to the eleventh or twelfth year,
when actual decrepitude usually COM
mences, and increases so rapidly that
by the fourteenth year the animal is
others. But dogs have fingered to
twenty years. Hexior, a shaggy spaniel
OF German breed, of unusual life and
intelligence, was received at four years
old by lady in London, in 1854, and
did not die until Christmas day of 1870.
1t was Hexior's good fortune to live in
a mansion full of dogs and empty OF
children. Her history could be woven
into story. From being the equal of
her canine associates, she became the
preferred, and from that the associate
of her mistress. AS her years increased
she grew to be queen of the household.
She had a language for every need OF
her life, and il was heard, understood,
and obeyed No one of her associates
they were seven in number-ever en-
tered her luxurious kennel, or touched
her dainty repast, or followed her to her
intimacies with her mistress, or passed the
threshold in her company when she
went to take her daily airing. BY force
of character she held her own to the last,
and in her dying hour. on q pillow in a
boudoir, her eyes following her mistress
while life was was painting toward its
goal, subdued all irolc among the
usually noisy tribe, every member Of
which was present, and passed away
with the dignity of the patriarch Jacob,
when 'he gathered up his feet i'll his
bed and yielded up the ghost"
ne average aye VI VIC ShStp 'ptS
not exceed ten years. TO that period
they live, breed, and thrive well. There
are instances, however, OF a much more
protracted age. Somervilles speaks Of
Il Spanish ram that maintained his vlrile
power twenty three years, and survived
two years longer and u eve, in D2nvon,
shire, yeaned u pair of lambs when a
shcarling produced two pairs annually
for seventeen years, and single lamb
for each of three years more. In Scot
land the guidesheer-old wethcrs
who are kept on purpose to lead the
tocks across the mountains and through
the unfreuuentcd wilds-avcrage full
wenty years of life.
Cows and oxen generally reach the
age of II. without diminution of their
powers. Rings around their horns tell
the number OF their days. At tour years
old ring is formed at the roots of the
horns, and every succeeding year an
other is added. Thus, by adding three
to the number Of rings upon the horns,
the age of The animal is arrived at.
Among the ieathered creation the
eagle and raven, the swan and parrot,
are each centenarians. An eagle kept
in Vienna died after confinement OF
one hundred and fourteen years, and on
an ancient oak in Selborne, still known
as the craven tree the same pair OF
ravens are believed to have fixed their
residence for series of more than ninety
years. Swans upon the River Thames,
about whose age there can be no mis-
t..ke, since they are annually nicked by
the Winters Company, under whose
keeping they have been for five CEN
turies, have been known to survive $50
years and more. The melody of the
dying swan is entirely mythical.
Upon approach of death the bird quits
the water, sits down upon the banks,
lays its head upon tne ground, expands
its wings a tritle, and expires, utterins
no sound.
The extreme longevity Of the parrot
is equally authentic. In the Geological
Gardens of London, there is a macaw
that was admitted to the Towerin the year
1864. AT Versailles, during the reign
of Charles X, there was always hangin z
Il cage in the EIdebnut, which con
tanned u parrot purchased by the Regent
Orleans for the Duchess de Berr. There
is not a collection in the royal aviaries
of Europe that has not its ancient parrot.
The writer purcha ed gray African
parrot in 1856, whose residence in Wales
was authenticated for seventy-seven
wears. The bird, more wonderful for
rie'y of speech than for her age, learn
ing everything and forgetting nothing.
accomplished alike in the Welsh tongue
and the English, born in Africa, living
more than three-quarters of IL century
in Europe, and dying in America, might
ness. In 1867, she had certainly APP
preached, if she had not reached and
passed, her one hundredth year. Upon
II severely cold night in De, ember OF
that year, she was sent from New York
to Washington, and persisted by the
way. She was in perfect health, had
never known a day Of sickness, showed
no decrepitude, enjoyed life to the ut
termost, demanded no allowances or
concessions on the score of advanced
years, and might, but for an exposure
to the rigor to an unaccustomed climate,
have been alive to-day.
Among fishes, the carp is notorious
for the remarkable tenaclty with which
1t clings to life. In the canals of Chan
lilly carps have been kept formorc than
a hundred years. They become hoary
through old age, and so tame that they
come at the call of the keeper to be fed.
From remote antiquity the pike has
been cOnSid cred a long liver Pliny in