150 THE FALCONS 



Mr. S. G. Cuinmings remarks, of two out of four youngsters in a 

 nest found by him, that their tongues were tipped with a large greenish 

 grey scale ... in the remaining two the scale had apparently been 

 shed. Nor was this an isolated case, for in another nest of four, all 

 very young birds, each tongue was so tipped. We suspect that 

 subsequent observation will show that this appearance was due to 

 coloration only. 



In one point the merlin differs conspicuously from the kestrel. 

 The former, when its eggs or young are threatened, protests with 

 loud cries ; the kestrel suffers in silence, or at anyrate but rarely gives 

 tongue under the circumstances. 



According to Seebohm, when the kestrel appropriates the nest of 

 the magpie, it provides a bed for its eggs of its own castings or pellets, 

 which are added to daily. 



