FALCON. 



457 



The following 1 are the most frequent colours of the 

 male of this species : the bill of a bluish-lead colour, 

 with the cere at the base greenish yellow, and the 

 irides of the eyes dusky-brown ; the naked parts of 

 the legs yellow, and the claws black ; the crown of 

 the head is dusky brown, streaked with black down the 

 shaft of each feather ; on the back of the head the 

 feathers are white at the base, and tipped with rust- 

 colour ; the middle of each feather black at the 

 point ; the back, scapulars, rump, and wings cinereous 

 lead-colour, each feather marked with a long slender 

 line of black down the shaft ; greater quills black ; the 

 inner webs marked with many oblong white spots ; 

 those next the body are coloured like the back on 

 the outer webs ; the inner webs spotted as the others ; 

 the two first feathers are much indented towards the 

 point of the inner web, as if cut with a pair of scis- 

 sars ; the third feather rather exceeds the second in 

 length, and is the longest ; the throat is nearly white ; 

 breast, belly, sides and thighs rust-coloured, streaked 

 with a dusky hue ; vent and under tail coverts pale rust- 

 coloured ; the under wing coverts are rufous brown, 

 with round white spots on each web ; tail like the 

 back, crossed with six or seven bars of black ; the end 

 black for almost an inch, slightly tipped with white ; 

 legs yellow ; claws black. 



The fema'e merlin, and the male in the immature 

 plumage, or that which has been designated the stone 

 falcon, is different from the above ; and as the bird is 

 one of considerable interest we shall quote the accu- 

 rate description of one, an immature male, by Mr. 

 Foljambe : " Length of the bird in question is about 

 twelve inches ; bill lead-colour ; cere and irides yel- 

 low ; the feathers on the crown and back of the head 

 brownish cinereous, with black shafts ; throat cream- 

 colour, extending in a very narrow line over the eyes ; 

 cheeks, back of the neck, and breast, rufous, with 

 longitudinal spots of brown ; thighs pale rufous ; with 

 a few very narrow lines of a brown colour pointing 

 downwards ; the back scapulars and wing coverts 

 bluish-cinereous, with black shafts to the feathers ; the 

 prime quills have their inner webs marked with six 

 large white spots, the base edged with white ; the 

 outer web of the first feather is scalloped with white ; 

 the second and third feather the longest ; the wings 

 when closed reach within an inch of the end of the 

 tail ; the tail is bluish-cinereous, with four black bars, 

 thatat the end an inch in breadth, the others narrower; 

 the tip white ; the under side of the tail white, barred 

 as above ; the legs and toes yellow and slender." 



The merlin is an exceedingly bold bird ; and when 

 it is in the lower cultivated parts of the country, it 

 does not hesitate to pursue little birds in gardens, and 

 even to drive them into houses ; nor is this all, for it 

 will sometimes make a dash at a bird in a cage, even 

 though the cage be inside a house ; and there are 

 instances of its having forfeited its liberty in conse- 

 quence of its daring in this way. Even when cap- 

 tured full grown, the merlin is exceedingly docile and 

 easily tamed ; and if duly fed, it is one of the most 

 gentle creatures imaginable. Indeed it is a very 

 general truth with regard to birds of prey, and the 

 same holds good in the case of mammalia, that the 

 boldest preyers are* the mosfeasily tamed, and the 

 most gentle when they are tamed. There is no more 

 remarkable instance of this in birds, than the golden 

 eagle and the brown owl. The owl, even though taken 

 young, will snap with its beak, erect its feathers, and 

 'defend itself, or at all events endeavour to escape when- 



ever it is approached ; but the eagle will so far enter 

 into companionship as to follow its master, to conduct 

 itself decorously in a dining-room, and even to amuse 

 itself with those that are kind to it. The case of 

 the dog is a parallel one in respect of mammalia. Of 

 all animals of that class the dog in a state of nature is 

 decidedly the most courageous ; and there is certainly 

 no animal whatever which shows nearly the same 

 degree of attachment as the dog does when domesti- 

 cated. This is a very curious point in the physiology 

 of animals, as it tends to prove, and actually proves, 

 that if there is the requisite degree of energy in the 

 animal, this energy may be turned either to good pur- 

 pose or to bad, according to circumstances. In the 

 whole of the irrational animals there is not, we believe, 

 a single exception to this ; and it holds equally true in 

 the case of man, there being no question that those 

 who under favourable circumstances have displayed 

 the most noble virtues, would, under circumstances 

 of an adverse nature, have been the most daring in" 

 crime ; and there is just as little doubt that they who 

 have disgraced human nature by the most desperate 

 atrocities, would, under proper treatment, have been 

 the best benefactors and the noblest ornaments of 

 society. This fact embodies in it volumes of instruc- 

 tion, far more important than any mere description 

 of a bird or of any other animal, or any detail of a 

 fact, of what nature soever ; because it goes at once 

 to the root of the question of the proper management 

 of living nature, rational and irrational, so as to turn 

 it to the greatest possible advantage. It does more 

 than this : for herein the Almighty himself vindicates 

 his own law, and establishes the truth of that bene- 

 diction which he pronounced upon the new made 

 world " And God saw everything that he had made ; 

 and, behold, it was very good." 



If we could carry this short declaration along with 

 us in all our researches in natural history, the advan- 

 tages would be incalculable, and we should not, as 

 we too frequently do, content ourselves with a 

 mere description of the external appearances of ani- 

 mals, as if they were stocks or stones, neither should 

 we wage against them a war of extermination on 

 account of some fancied noxiousness or positive evil. 

 " Behold, it is VERY GOOD" is the declaration of God 

 himself, over everything animate or inanimate within 

 the whole bounds of the creation ; and as this is an 

 express, primary, and infallible declaration by Him to 

 whom every atom of matter in every possible connec- 

 tion, throughout all space and during all time, is most 

 intimately known, how shall we, how can we, how 

 should we, escape the vengeance of His just dis- 

 pleasure, if we cast it behind us when we go forth to 

 survey His works, and dare to set up, instead of this 

 eternal and infallible standard, some paltry caprice of 

 our own ? 



Be what the creature will, it has been declared that 

 it is " very good ;" and it is our duty, the very pur- 

 pose for which we were made, to find out the proper 

 answer to the question, "Good for whatf" Weeds 

 overrun the garden, and choke those artificial plants 

 which man has sown or planted for his use ; but " they 

 are very good :" they speak to the sluggard in lan- 

 guage more forcible than all the laws which ever were 

 enacted by human legislation ; and impress upon man 

 that if he is to profit by the bounty of the earth, he 

 must be diligent in performing those labours which 

 are necessary for the security of this bounty. In- 

 sects of various kinds, and in different stages of their 



