July 1, 18G8.] 



HARDWICKE'S SC 1 ENCE - GOSS IP. 



157 



Britain," remarks, " Although I did not succeed in 

 finding the nest of the Merlin when I visited the 

 Dovrefjeld, I am certain that the bird was engaged 

 in feeding its young ; for the old birds passed and 

 repassed certain parts of the moor with a degree of 

 regularity that attracted my attention ; and as I sat 

 on a stone watching them, I observed that they 

 always took the same direction, coming and going 

 from the scrubby parts of the country to the hill- 

 side. The kind of food they carried home I was 

 unable to ascertain ; probably small birds. I did 



on a partridge, it usually preys on smaller birds, 

 such as larks, thrushes, chaffinclies, sandpipers, 



snipes, and plovers The crops and 



stomachs of all those which I have dissected con- 

 tained exclusively small birds ; but it is said to 

 prey upon insects also, which is very probable, they 

 being a favourite food of most small hawks." 



The geographical distribution of Hypotriorchis 

 eesalon may be summed up as follows : — 



Iceland {Newton), Europe {Gould et alt.), Siberia 

 {Middendorf, Radde), Algeria {Loche), Egypt {Tay- 



Fig. 163. Meulin {Falco cesalon). Male. 



not perceive that they ever attacked the Fieldfare 

 or the Redwing, although these were plentiful in 

 the immediate neighbourhood." 



Macgillivray observes : " This beautiful little 

 falcon is by no means uncommon in many parts of 



Scotland The flight of this species more 



resembles that of the Sparrow-hawk than of the 

 Peregrine Ealcon. It sweeps along at no very 

 great height, glides over the fields, shoots by the 

 edge of the wood, examines the thorn-fence, and 

 sometimes alights on a tree or wall, as if to survey 

 the ground. Although it may occasionally pounce 



lor), Palestine {Tristram), Asia Minor {Dickson and 

 Ross), South Russia {Demidoff), N. India {Jerdon), 

 China {Sicinhoe). 



R. B. Sharpe. 



Eire-fly of North America. — A correspon- 

 dent desires to introduce this insect into Britain, 

 and wishes to learn in what condition it had better 

 be imported, at what time of the year, and what 

 constitutes its food. Will any one kindly furnish 

 him with answers to these queries ? 



