WITH THE PEREGRINE AND MERLIN 255 



the locality. That day it was fearfully misty up in 

 the hills, and torrents of rain were falling ; indeed, I 

 scarcely remember a more unpleasant day. On 

 reaching the valley, which is little more than a 

 dingle, with scattered oaks and hazels on the one 

 slope, gorse and a little bracken on the other, the 

 mist was so bad that I could barely see thirty yards, 

 and badly at that. The moment I topped the slope 

 opposite the oaks I heard a Hawk's cry, which was 

 certainly not that of a Kestrel, and getting down to 

 the stream, just made out a small Hawk leaving the 

 vicinity of the Buzzard's nest. On getting closer, a 

 still smaller one left the nest itself. The Buzzards 

 had quitted the place altogether. On climbing to 

 the nest I found a good scratching in it, but nothing 

 else. As I climbed the opposite slope I once more 

 heard the cry, but left them for the time being, feel- 

 ing confident in my own mind that they were 

 Merlins though I would not have sworn to it 

 owing to the fog. 



On May 22nd, in lovely bright weather, I once 

 again visited the spot, and whilst descending the 

 gorse-covered slope saw a small Hawk leave a 

 Crow's nest, on the left of the Buzzard's. No doubt 

 about its identity in this light : a hen Merlin for 

 certain quotha. On climbing to the Buzzard's old 

 nest, from which they flew on May 4th, I found 

 nothing, but the moment I began the ascent " kek, 

 kek, kek," from the Merlin, as she circled round the 

 valley with a remarkably quick, though wavering and 

 curiously erratic, flight, twisting about just as a Wood- 

 cock will on being flushed. The cry was far shriller 



