138 



well as in Eussia, Greenland, and the fur coun- 

 tries of North America. It is abundant also in 

 Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, &c. Its 

 summer residence is in the northern parts of both 

 Continents, from the colder temperate regions to 

 the borders of the polar ice. In winter it advances 

 southward, and is common in Scotland, where it 

 betakes itself chiefly to streams and lakes, but also 

 to estuaries and the open sea. Many breed in the 

 Hebrides, Orkneys, and Shetland Islands, forming 

 a bulky nest, which they line with down. The 

 female lays from five to ten oval eggs of a cream 

 colour, or very pale buff, two inches and a half in 

 length and an inch and three-fourths in breadth. 



MERLIN. 



FALCO JESALOtf, Mont. 



This, the smallest British species of the genus, is 

 by no means uncommon in many parts of Scotland, 

 where it remains all the year. It is also found 

 frequently in the north of England, but in the 

 middle and southern districts it occurs only in 

 autumn and winter. Inferior as this species is in 

 size, it fully supports the fearless and daring cha- 

 racter of its tribe, frequently attacking birds supe- 

 rior to itself in magnitude and weight. The Merlin 



