134 MERLIN". 



rufous on the edges ; the quills are deep clove 

 brown, tipped with whitish, and barred on the 

 inner webs with pale reddish orange ; the secon- 

 daries are tipped with white, and the greater 

 coverts have pale tips and irregular bars of pale 

 rufous interruptedly crossing them ; the tail is pale 

 at the tip, and afterwards alternately barred with 

 clove-brown and rufous, the latter tint becoming 

 ochraceous towards the base ; the chin is white, 

 and the remaining lower parts pale ochraceous 

 yellow, broadly marked along the shafts of each 

 feather with umber brown, the thighs and under 

 tail coverts only having the streaking linear. 

 Length about ten inches "and three quarters. 



The female has the upper parts clove brown, 

 tinted with grey, particularly on the rump, the 

 general colour darkest on the head, the shaft and 

 centre of each feather darkest, and each edged 

 with rufous, which is the predominant colour on 

 the back of the neck ; the quills have the reddish 

 marking we see in the young males on the inner 

 webs, and the tail pale at the tip, is distinctly 

 barred with umber brown and pale rufous, which 

 towards the base becomes ochraceous ; the chin 

 is white ; the remaining under parts ochraceous 

 white, tinted with rufous on the breast, and 

 thickly marked with umber brown, disposed in 

 broad longitudinal streaks, the shaft of the feathers 

 shewing darkly in each. Length about thirteen 



