THE MERLIN. 395 



there are also a few pairs which breed in this country, on 

 the northern moors. In the south it is extremely rare in 

 the summer, and indeed it is not commonly met with south 

 -of Yorkshire at any period of the year. Its usual food is 

 -composed of small birds; but when pressed by hunger, it will 

 attack the partridge, (especially the young ones when it has 

 its own brood to supply,) but as it does not strike on the 

 ground, it is seldom that the opportunity offers. It does 

 not therefore do much harm to game, and the lovers of 

 natural history as well as of hawking might well be spared 

 the loss of this beautiful bird at the hands of the keeper. 

 Still there is no doubt that occasionally it will take a 

 partridge or grouse ; but while the fox is allowed to have his 

 pheasant occasionally, surely the falconer might be permitted 

 to have an exemption in his favour, when the injury done is 

 so slight. In Northumberland and Cumberland merlins 

 are plentiful enough, and young birds may be obtained in 

 almost any numbers at 5s. to 7s. 6d. a-piece. In size this 

 bird is slightly less than the hobby, measuring from ten to 

 twelve inches long. An old male has the beak blue, with a 

 blackish tip; cere yellow; iris dark brown; crown blue 

 grey streaked with dark brown ; a collar of reddish brown 

 passing from the cheeks round the neck ; back rich bluish 

 grey, each feather having a dark brown shaft; primaries 

 rich black ; tail bluish grey, with three faint bands for the 

 basal two thirds, the end being black tipped with white ; 

 chin and throat white; under parts of body pale reddish 

 brown streaked and patched with darker brown; legs and 

 toes yellow ; claws black. The female has all the upper 

 parts of head and body of a dark liver colour, the edges of 

 .all the feathers being faintly tipped with red; tail brown, 

 with five narrow bars of wood brown ; under surfaces whity 

 brown with darker streaks and patches; in other respects 

 like the male. The young males resemble the females, ex- 

 cept in size. They, as well as the young of the other sex, 

 are called stone falcons in Wales. The nest is built on the 

 ground, with a few bents of grass only. The female lays 

 four or five eggs mottled with two shades of reddish 

 brown, one inch seven lines in length by one inch three 

 lines in breadth. 



