DAN MEINERTZHAGEN'S DIARY. 72 



I also twice to-day saw a Merlin ; it seems 

 curious I should not have found the nest. The 

 people here distinguish between this and the 

 Kestrel, and on two occasions eggs have been 

 brought ; I have been most careful in accepting 

 them. They all say I shall get plenty later on. 

 The pair I saw, if they were a pair, to-day, 

 were not far apart, and one of them, when 

 I climbed up a tree to a nest, made such a to-do 

 screaming, I thought I was going to get some 

 eggs. However, I shall go again next week 

 and try, for Merlin's eggs from a nest in a fir 

 tree would be curiosities, at any rate, in 

 England. 



Bob, this evening, caught twenty-three 

 grayling which scaled 14! Ibs., the largest 

 being 2 Ibs., all on the further bank of the 

 rapid. The boys here snare lots of Ruffs on 

 the shores of the bay, and keep bringing them 

 in for us to buy, and some of them are beauties, 

 but we haven't time to skin. The wind has 

 changed to the North, and it is quite nice and 

 cool. My little dog has got a sort of distemper, 

 and looks on his last legs. 



June $rd. The flies and midges are increas- 

 ing to an alarming extent ; this hot weather 

 seems to have brought them out in millions. 

 I caught several small f rittillaries this afternoon, 



