THE MERLIN. 23 



only a short distance above them. One of the Hawks 

 appeared from this time to gain rapidly upon the Snipe, 

 whilst the other appeared to make but little progress. At 

 length, and when the Snipe and foremost Hawk had almost 

 disappeared in the sky, the latter, having apparently gained 

 the ascendency, made a rapid stoop, but the former, by a 

 sudden change in its course, eluded the stroke, and, having 

 thrown its antagonist, made now a descent like a falling 

 star. At this moment the Hawk that had kept below, no 

 doubt waiting for this event, darted like lightning across 

 the sky towards it, which, however, the Snipe, by another 

 dexterous shift, escaped also. Still, all was in vain on the 

 part of the pursued, for before it got many yards the other 

 Hawk shot down upon it and received it in its talons." ^ 



The flight of the Merlin when on the outlook for prey 

 is generally at no great height above the ground, and in 

 autumn it may be sometimes seen sweeping along our 

 hedge-rows, where 



On the haw-clustci'ed thorns, a motley flock 

 Of birds of various plume and various note. 

 Discordant chirp.- 



The prey of this Falcon usually consists of the smaller 

 kinds of birds, such as Larks, Yellow-Hammers, Chaffinches, 

 and Thrushes, but it likewise attacks Snipes, Plovers, Part- 

 ridges, and Pigeons. It also feeds upon the larger insects and 

 beetles, the wing-cases of which are seen in its castings.^ 



A tame Merlin which I kept in 1867-68, and which 

 was taken from a nest in Glen Urquhart, Inverness-shire, 

 in the summer of the former year, used to spread its wings 

 and tail around small birds given to it as food, after seizing 

 them with its claws. 



1 Treatise upon Falconry, by James Cockburn Belany, Berwick-on-Tweerl, 1841. 



- Graliaiiie, Tlie Rural Calendar, Novonibcr. 



" Seeboliiu, Hislnry of British Birds, vol. i. p. 37. 



