6 EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



THE MERLIN. 

 (Falco asalon.) 

 Plate 4, Fig. 7. 



The Merlin breeds throughout the mountainous districts of 

 Great Britain, from the moorlands of Derbyshire northwards to 

 •the outer Hebrides and the Shetlands, partly retiring to the low- 

 lands and southern counties in winter, where a few pairs casually 

 remain to breed. It breeds throughout Ireland in the mountain 

 districts ; and numbers seek the lowlands in winter. 



This species is confined to the northerly parts of the Old World. 

 It breeds throughout North Europe, Iceland, and the Faroes, 

 and winters in South Europe and North Africa, where a few are 

 said to remain during the summer, retiring to the higher grounds 

 to breed. Eastward it nests throughout Northern Siberia, passing- 

 through Mongolia and Turkestan on migration, and wintering in 

 South China, North- Western India, and Sind. 



It is a somewhat late breeder, laying its eggs about the middle 

 of May, so that its voracious young may be fed upon young 

 grouse. 



The site of the nest, on our moorlands, is chosen on the ground 

 in the tall heather, or in some flat spot amongst the rocks on the 

 steep slopes at the foot of the precipitous ridges so often met with 

 in these localities. In most cases a small hole is made ; whatever 

 roots and dry grass may chance to be upon the spot are scratched 

 into the rudiments of a nest, and the only materials actually 

 selected by the bird appear to be a few slender twigs of "ling" 

 to form the outside of the structure : these are generally broken 

 off from the heather overhanging the nest. 



The eggs are usually five in number, sometimes only four, and 

 somewhat rounded in form. In colour they closely resemble 

 those of the Kestrel and the Hobby ; but the colour is a more 

 decided brown, without the brick-red tints so commonly seen on 

 newly-laid eggs of these birds. Like all Falcons' eggs, they differ 

 considerably in size and intensity of colour, some specimens being 

 of a reddish-brown, so richly coloured as to hide all trace of the 

 ground-colour ; others are pale red, with most of the deep brown 

 confined sometimes to the large end and sometimes to the small 

 end. Some specimens are pale cream in ground-colour, evenly 



