BIRDS. 137 



Hobby B. Formerly often obtained near Shrewsbury, but 



F. subbuteo. now rather rare. It only visits this 



Apl. Oct. Country in summer and leaves in 



autumn. It has bred in Shropshire. 



It never builds a nest for itself, but uses that of a magpie 



or other large bird. The Hobby has soft plumage and 



very long wings, which, when folded, almost exceed in 



length the tip of the tail. 



Orange-legged Hobby, or Red-footed Falcon. Mr. 



F. vespertinus, Rocke mentions an immature bird in 



Mr. Bodenham's collection, caught near 



Shrewsbury, about 1868, and there is an adult in the 



collection of Mr. Chase, (Birmingham), shot by a lad 



while scaring birds near Ellesmere, in 1873. 



MERLIN B. A small but bold little Falcon, still occurring 



F. asalon. not unfrequently on the Longmynd 



range, and along the Welsh border 



especially in winter. It rarely breeds in Shropshire, 



but a nest was found on the Longmynd, in 1896. The 



Merlin is particularly fond of larks, and about 1840 



a pair was captured, near Shrewsbury, in a lark-net. 



KESTREL B. Often called " Windhover " from its habit 



F. tinmmcuhts. of hovering stationary in the air while 



scanning the ground in search of mice, 



etc., a difficult feat of " wingmanship," attained to by 



few other birds. The Kestrel is resident ; fairly 



numerous where it is not molested, and breeds regularly 



in Shropshire, generally utilising the old nest of some 



other large bird. It is partially migratory, as we have 



fewer with us in winter than in summer. The cry is 



like the mew of a kitten. It feeds principally on mice, 



