MERLIN. 55 



genous in several northern counties. It breeds also in 

 Scotland, in Orkney, and in Shetland ; and is included by 

 Muller and M. Nilsson among the birds of Denmark, 

 Sweden, and Norway. It inhabits Germany and France, 

 and from thence southward to the shores of the Mediter- 

 ranean. It has been found in Sicily and Malta. Mr. 

 Strickland includes the Merlin among the birds seen by 

 him at Smyrna in the winter of 1835-6; but it was con- 

 sidered rare : it has been found also at Erzeroom and in 

 Egypt. Dr. Andrew Smith obtained examples of it as 

 far south as the vicinity of the Cape of Good Hope ; but 

 this last may prove not to be identical with the true Merlin 

 of Europe. 



Dr. Richardson obtained two specimens of the Merlin in 

 the fur-countries of the North American continent, both 

 of them females, one of which is figured by Mr. Swainson 

 in the Fauna Boreali- Americana ; but this bird is not 

 recognised by name as going so far south on that conti- 

 nent as the United States, since it is not mentioned by 

 Wilson or Mr. Nuttall, or Mr. Audubon. 



The Merlin makes its scanty nest on the ground, laying 

 four or five eggs, mottled all over with two shades of 

 reddish brown, and measuring one inch seven lines in 

 length, by one inch three lines in breadth. In North 

 Wales, the young birds are called Stone Falcons; but 

 among Ornithologists the Stone Falcon is considered to be 

 an adult bird. It is not, however, improbable that the 

 habit of sitting on a bare stone or portion of rock, by 

 which this species has acquired the name of Stone Falcon, 

 is common to it at all ages, and in other countries. In 

 France it is called Le Eocliwr, and Faucon de Eoche ; and 

 in Germany, Stein FalJce. This bird occasionally builds on 

 rocks. 



