' MERLIN. 207 



central line of black. Hind neck yellowish ; the fea- 

 thers tipped vvitli brown. Anterior dorsal feathers 

 with one or two circular pale-red concealed spots. 

 Quills, larger coverts, and alula, with regular series of 

 roundish light-red spots on both webs, and tipped with 

 the same but paler. Tail with five bars of pale reddish- 

 brown spots, and a terminal band of greyish-white. A 

 yellowish line over the eye ; tips of longer auriculars 

 brown ; a line of brown-centred feathers from the base 

 of the upper mandible ; chin and part of the forehead 

 yellowish-white; lower parts light reddish-yellow, mark- 

 ed with numerous oblong spots of brown; posterior 

 hypochondrial feathers with four circular spots of yel- 

 lowish-white ; long tibial feathers marked with a brown 

 line, short feathers white ; abdominal and subcaudal 

 feathers nearly spotless, a row of the latter on each 

 side with a central line of pale brown. 



Length 12i inches; extent of wings 36^; tarsus l/^j. 



Remarks. — The Merlin is most closely allied to the 

 American Pigeon Hawk, Falco columbarius, from which 

 indeed it is difficult to distinguish it. In the reticula- 

 tions of its tarsi, and in the form of its wings, it is more 

 allied to the kestrel than to the hobby or peregrine fal- 

 con ; and its elongated slender toes indicate ah affinity 

 to the hawks, properly so called. 



It has long ago been remarked, that the male and 

 the female of the Merlin diflFer very little in size ; and 

 although the authors who made the observation had a 

 view only to those individuals which we know to be 

 the females or young, but which they conceived to 

 form a species apart from the males, I have found it 



