238 THE BOOK OF MIGRATORY BIRDS 



Although not addicted to photographic "nest-poking, 1 * 

 my curiosity as to a merlin's nest has been satisfied. 

 Jeddle and I lit on one on the rocky, bracken-covered 

 slope of a moor a good height above the beck. 



It was a mere depression or scratch-out partly filled with 

 heather "birns" and dried grass. I learnt that the 

 merlin's common name of "stone falcon" was derived 

 from this bird's habit of watching for prey from some over- 

 topping rock often far enough away from the nest, or even 

 when it had no nest. We took three bluish eggs blotched 

 with the deep reddish-brown before the full complement 

 of four to the clutch was made up. Jeddle's triumph cul- 

 minated in his shooting the falconette, the female bird 

 which is slightly larger than the tiercel, or male a day 

 or two later, but I was not then present. It would certainly 

 be interesting to know if the escaped tiercel found another 

 partner shortly afterwards, for certain it is that we took a 

 full clutch of eggs out of the same nest about a month 

 later. 



The female proved an exceedingly close sitter, and was 

 nearly trodden upon, whereas the male seemed to menace 

 us with shrill cries whilst flying about as we approached 

 the spot. Personally, I am sorry to report that Jeddle got 

 both these birds, and did not fail to secure his employer's 

 approbation. The hen he shot on the ground close to the 

 nest ; the cock he took on a tumulus a mere pimple on the 

 tableland of moor half a mile off, cruelly, I thought, but 

 without penalising himself under statutory law as regards 

 the banned pole-trap and its allies. 



We treated this bird in a surgeon-like manner; he was 

 even reduced to a degree of tractability in confinement. 

 There seemed a possibility of turning him to account for 

 flying at skylarks if one cared to spend time over his 

 training. However, he made good his escape one day, 

 and returned, presumably, to the wild life which would 

 doubtless prove more agreeable to him. 



