The Breeding Habits of the Merlin. 267 



buzzard is that of the merlin (Falco cesalon), which fact has 

 never yet been, so far as I know, noticed as occurring in the 

 New Forest. In the winter this little hawk is sometimes seen 

 hunting, as it does in Ireland, the snipe, although but few 

 specimens find their way to the bird-stuffer. It lingers on, 

 however, to the summer, but the opportunities then of watching 

 its habits are more rare, as the foliage of the woods is so thick. 

 In 1859 and 1861 Mr. Farren received two nests with three 

 eggs, taken in old pollard hollies growing in the open heath, 

 which in every way corresponded with those of the merlin, 

 being considerably smaller than those of kestrels. Unfortu- 

 nately, however, he could not procure the parent birds, and 

 the fact of the merlin's nesting remained doubtful. In 1862 

 he was at last successful, and on May 22nd discovered a nest, 

 placed in the hole of a yew, also containing, like the others, 

 three eggs, from which the male bird was shot. Both the bird 

 and eggs are now in my collection, the latter being somewhat 

 richer and darker in colour than those which I have received 

 from the Orkney and Shetland islands. The important fact, 

 however, to be noticed is that, as Temminck remarks, the birds 

 in a woody country build in trees, whilst in the north of Britain, 

 where there is no timber, they adapt themselves to the country, 

 and lay on the ground.* 



* As the instances of the breeding of the merlin, especially under these 

 circumstances, will always be very rare, I may as well add my own personal 

 observations. In the spring of 1861 I received three eggs taken not far 

 from the Knyghtwood Oak, and said to have been found in the hole of a 

 beech. As I am not in the habit of paying any attention to the mere stories 

 which are so plentiful, I did not, therefore, examine them with any atten- 

 tion, and put them aside as merely kestrel's. After, however, Mr. Farren's 

 communication to me, I looked out particularly for this little hawk, but 

 only once saw it in the open ground, near Warwickslade Cutting, from 



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