256 TEN YEARS IN SWEDEN. 



small moustache as in the peregrine, which bird it 

 much resembles in miniature. A white spot on the 

 back of the neck. Upper parts all dark black-blue. 

 Throat white. Breast and belly with long black spots. 

 Legs, feathers, and under tail coverts, pale rusty red. 

 The female much resembles the male, but the spots 

 on the breast are thicker and larger. Back darker and 

 duller. In the young birds the red thighs are paler, 

 with dark brown oblong spots. A rusty tinge on the 

 cross bands under the tail. 

 A summer migrant to the north. Breeds in the south 



and middle of Scandinavia, but does not go so far up as 



Lapland. 



Eggs generally in an old crow's nest red. There is 



so little difference between the general character of the eggs 



of the hobby, merlin, and the kestrel, that if a lot were 



mixed, it would be impossible to know one from the other. 



Those of the merlin are, however, generally the smallest, 



and when fresh, have a pinkish tint. 



5. F. LITHOFALCO, Gmel. Dverg Falk. The Merlin. D. F. 



The smallest of the northern falcons, generally 2 in. 



shorter than the hobby. Tail longer than the wings. 



First wing feather shorter than the fourth. Male, light 



blue-grey above, as also the tail, which has a broad 



black band, and narrow white tip, but no other cross 



bands. The female and young are grey-brown above, 



with the edges of the feathers paler. Below yellowish 



white, with brown long spots. Tail grey-brown, with 



five to six pale bands across its upper surface. 



Is a summer migrant to Scandinavia, but passes over 



the south and middle of the country to breed on the Lap 



fells, where it is very common in the season, as far 



up at least as Tornea Lapland. Eggs, six, red. Nearly 



always laid on the ground among heather. 



6. F. KUFIPES Bechst. Eod bent Falk. The Eed Legged 



Hobby. D. F. 



