74. 



ACClPITRIiS. 



FALCONld;. 



FALCONID^H. 



Falco .esalon, Gmelin*. 



THE MEKLIN. 



Falco (esalon. 



The Merlin, in some parts of the country known as tlie 

 " Stone-Falcon," is one of the smallest of the British Falco- 

 it'iihc, and being of rapid flight and great courage, possesses, on 

 a diminished scale, all the attributes and characters of a true 

 Falcon. So bold as well as powerful, in proportion to his 

 size, is this little bird, that a male Merlin, not weighing 

 more than six ounces, has been seen to strike and kill a 

 Partridge that was certainly more than twice his own weight ; 

 and so tenacious generally is he of his prey, that it is very 

 difficult to make him quit anything he has taken. The more 



" 8yst. Kal. i. p. 284 (1788). 



