THE MERLIN. 



305 



more cultivated districts for the winter, in a manner similar to that of tin 

 Meadow Pipit. Even in the wild country of the Shetlands, the Western Isles, 

 and the Highlands the Merlin is found throughout the year; in summer on the 

 mountains and in winter lower down, in more sheltered districts on the sea- 

 short;. * * . * 



"Although the Merlin arrives on the moorlands from its winter haunts late 

 in March or early in April, it is a somewhat late breeder. The date of nidifi- 

 cation is evidently chosen with relation to an abundant supply of food for the 



young. 



The site selected for the nest varies in different localities; 



for in Lapland, both Wolley and Wheelwright mention instances of nests being 

 found in trees, and Collett says that in south Norway it frequently takes 

 possession of an old nest in a tree, like the Kestrel. On the Faroes it is said 

 to breed on the cliffs. On our own moorlands a site is chosen on the ground, 

 in the tall heather, or in some flat spot among the rocks on the steep slopes 

 at the foot of the precipitous ridges so often met with in these localities. The 

 site usually slopes down to a stream, and is one that commands a good view 

 of the surrounding country. In most cases a small hole is made; whatever 

 roots and dry grass may chance to be upon the spot are scratched into the 

 rudiments of a nest, and the only materials actually selected by the bird 

 appear to be a few slender twigs of 'ling' to form the outside of the structure, 

 and which are generally broken from the heather overhanging the nest. When 

 on the rocky slopes, it is usually made under a heather tuft, or beneath a mass 

 of coarse herbage, and is then but a mere hollow in the scanty soil, as 

 often without the ling twigs as with them. 



"The eggs of the Merlin are usually five in number, sometimes only 

 four; and are somewhat rounded in form. * * * Some specimens are deep 

 reddish In-own, so richly colored as to hide all trace of the ground color; 

 others are pale red with most of the deep brown confined sometimes to the 

 large and sometimes to the small end. Some specimens are pale cream in 

 ground color, evenly and beautifully marbled with deep purplish red, or finely 

 dusted over the entire surface with minute specks of blackish brown, and vary 

 from 1.65 to 1.50 inches in length, and from 1.20 to 1.15 inches in breadth 

 [equal to 41.9 to 38.1 in length, and 30.5 to 29.2 millimetres in breadth]." 1 



The eggs of the Merlin are scarcely distinguishable from those of the 

 Pigeon Hawk. The average measurement of eight eggs in the U. S. National 

 Museum collection is 39 by 31 millimetres. The largest egg measures 40 

 by 31.5, the smallest 38 by 31 millimetres. 



' History of British Birds, 1883, Vol. I, pp. 34-39. 

 26957 Bull. 1 20 



