MERLIN. 133 



A Hobby was killed at Stoke Edith in 1867 ; and another 

 was shot at Bullingham in September, 1886, and seen by Mr. W. 

 C. Blake at a bird-stuffer's in Hereford. 



The Hobby will sometimes dash through a window at a small 

 bird in a cage. The Skylark has a special dread of it, and 

 bird-catchers sometimes use it, or an imitation of it, to catch the 

 Larks, which is called " daring " them. 



The people will chop, like tronts at an artificial fly, 

 And dare like Larks under the awe of a painted Hobby. 



— Ij Estrange. 



The Hobby might well be spared by the gamekeeper, for its 

 chief food consists of small birds — Skylarks, Swallows, Martins, 

 Swifts, Sandpipers, young Plovers, and occasionally a young 

 Partridge. It often hawks Cockchafers and beetles. It builds 

 in high trees, and often in the old nests of the Crow or the 

 Magpie. By experienced falconers it is sometimes trained to jfly 

 at Skylarks, Quails, and Snipes. 



FALCO ^SALON— Merlin. 



"Not yielding over to old age his country delights, he was at that time 

 following a Merlin."— Stdnkt. 



Saving there came a litle ** gray " Hawke 

 A Merlin him they call, 



Which untill the grounde did strike the grype, 

 That dead he downe did fall. 



Percy — Sir Aldingar. 



The Merlin is one of the smallest of the Hawks, )ut it is rapid 

 in flight and of great courage. It is usually a winter visitor, but 

 sometimes stays to breed in Herefordshire. The Rev. Clement 

 Ley has taken its eggs in May, from beneath the heather on the 

 Fwddog mountain. Mr. W. C. Blake says that a pair of Merlins 

 were trapped on the Bishopswood estate in 1883, even to the 

 regret of the keeper himself. It is however a rare bird, and is 



