56 FALCONID^E. 







The Merlin measures from ten to twelve inches in 

 length, depending on the sex of the specimen. An old 

 male has the beak bluish horn colour, palest at the base, 

 darkest towards the tip ; the cere yellow, the irides dark 

 brown ; the top of the head blue grey, with dark lines 

 passing backward ; the cheeks, and from thence round 

 the back of the neck, pale reddish brown, also marked 

 with dark streaks, forming a collar ; the whole of the 

 back and wing-coverts fine blue grey,* the shaft of each 

 feather forming a dark central line ; wing -primaries pitch 

 black ; upper surface of the tail-feathers bluish grey over 

 two-thirds of their length, with slight indications of three 

 dark bands, the distal third nearly uniform black, the tips 

 of all the feathers white ; the chin and throat white ; 

 breast, belly, thighs, and under tail-coverts, rufous, with 

 brown central patches, and darker brown streaks; under 

 surface of the tail-feathers barred with two shades of grey, a 

 broad dark terminal band, and white tips ; legs and toes 

 yellow ; claws black. 



In the female, the top of the head, back, wing-coverts, 

 and secondaries are dark liver brown, the shaft of each 

 feather darker, the edge tipped with red ; the tail-feathers 

 brown, with five narrow transverse bars of wood brown ; 

 under surface of the body pale brownish white, with 

 darker brown longitudinal patches ; the beak, cere, eyes, 

 legs, toes, and claws as in the male. Young males resemble 

 the females ; and in birds of the year, the wings do not 

 reach so far towards the end of the tail as in those that 

 are adult. 



* The Elfin king, like the Merlin's wing, 

 Are his pinions of glossy blue." 



Lewis's Tales of Wonder. 



