212 THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL. 



reared from the nest becomes a very familiar pet, and may be per- 

 mitted to fly about at large, as it will not fly away far, and will come 

 at call and catch small pieces of raw flesh thrown up in the air. I 

 have seen the kestrel hawking for worms over a newly-ploughed field ; 

 he alights to devour one and then resumes his search, hovering a few 

 yards above the ground very perseveringly. 



The Merlin. 



This active little hawk is nearly as numerous as the last. 

 Hunting along the rocky shores and skimming with inconceivable 

 swiftness over the level fields, rising and falling as he tops a stone 

 dyke with a whirr ! his stiff pinions vibrating in the air. The nest 

 is not nearly so often met with as the kestrel's. When resting 

 perched on an overhanging rock, the merlin often betrays its presence 

 by setting up a querulous cry, half scream, half chatter, and continues 

 scolding till the object that excites it — a boat or passer-by — has come 

 within easy gunshot. 



The Common Buzzard. 



Seems to be extremely rare. T only obtained two specimens ; one 

 was in the rockiest part of Iona. 



The Sparrow Hawk. 



The Gaelic for hawk is seabhag (pronounced ahe'ag) ; the smaller hawks are 

 generally called sjierrak, which 1 thought to be a corruption of the English 

 sparrow hawk, till I found that it was derived from the word spdir, a claw, 

 and should be written speir-sheabhag or speir ag. 



Is as rare as the last, or nearly so. It may be more frequent on 

 the mainland side of Mull, where there are some plantations and trees ; 

 but we must remember that this is where Dr Johnson told Boswell to 

 take good care of his staff, for he perceived that timber was very scarce 

 here. 



