74 MERLIN KESTREL. 



streaked with black. Thighs rusty red. Bill horn-colour, 

 darker at the tip. Legs, cere, and orbits yellow. Length 

 12 in. Female duller ; length 14 in. Young ; plumage tinged 

 with rufous. 



Language. A shrill cry, somewhat like the Kestrel's 



Habits. Much resembles the last, though less dashing. The 

 long pointed wings, exceeding the tail when closed, are always 

 noticeable in flight. 



Food. Various kinds of insects chiefly ; also small birds 

 like Larks. 



Nest. May or June. One brood. 



Site. Some old Crow's or Magpie's nest is appropriated. 



Eggs. Three or four. Pale ochreous, speckled and dusted 

 with dark red. Very like the Kestrel's. 



MERLIN (Falco cesalon). 



Resident ; fairly well distributed, but rarer in the South ; 

 most abundant in Wales, North of England and Scotland; 

 fairly common in Ireland. 



Haunts. Moorland and mountainous districts. 



Observations. Our smallest Falcon ; note absence of mous- 

 tachial streak. 



Plumage. Upper parts slaty grey, with dark shaft to each 

 feather ; under parts rufous, longitudinally streaked with dark 

 brown. Broad black bar near tip of tail ; tip white. Bill 

 bluish, darker at the tip. Cere and legs yellow. Length 

 10 in. Female: dark brown above, with dark shafts to each 

 feather; tail dark brown, with six ruddy buff bands, and 

 tipped with buffish white ; chin and throat white ; under parts 

 white, striped with dark brown ; length 12 in. Young re- 

 semble female, but more rufous. 



Language. A sharp, shrill cry, much like the Kestrel's. 



Habits. Courageous and fearless. It flies near the ground 

 with rapid, skimming flight. It is fond of perching on rocks. 



Food. Small birds chiefly. 



Nest. April or May. One brood. 



Site. On the ground among heather, rarely in trees. 



Materials. A few sprigs of heather. 



Eggs. Four to six. Reddish, well spotted, and marked 

 with brick-red. Much like the Kestrel's, but smaller. 



KESTREL (Falco tinnunculus] . 



Resident. Pretty common everywhere, not seeming to prefer 

 any particular kind of country. 



Plumage. Head, lower back, and tail bluish grey. Tail 



