194 FALCONID.E. 



earliest dates on which I noticed them were the 8th of April, 

 loth of April, and 20th of April, in three different years, and we 

 saw them near Seville very early in May. They have bred near 

 Coria del Rio, and Arevalo mentions them also near Granada. 



The Hobby takes its prey, birds and insects, on the wing, and 

 no authentic record is known of its taking anything on the ground. 



Adult. Above bluish black, with black moustachial stripe ; tbroat and 

 breast white, occasionally tinged with buff, the breast striped with black ; 

 thighs and vent rusty red. 



Young. Buff edgings to feathers of buck ; thighs and vent only very 

 slightly rufous. Length 12-14 inches. 



206. Falco eesalon, Tunstall. The Merlin. 



Spanish. Esmerejon. 



" Occurs during winter near Tangier, coming from Europe in 

 September, returning north in March." Favier. 



The Merlin is not uncommon in open ground in Andalucia in 

 December and January. The earliest noticed was on the 24th 

 of November, the latest on the 7th of March. About Casas 

 Viejas they were very plentiful, and often to be seen chasing 

 Calandra Larks ; they w r ere, for the most part, adult blue-backed 

 birds *. 



Adult male. Above slaty blue, with black shaft to each feather ; nape 

 rufous ; throat white ; underparts rufous, streaked with blackish brown ; 

 tail blue-grey, the end broadly banded with black and tipped with white. 

 Length 10 inches. 



Female. Extremely rarely acquires the same plumage as the adult male ; 

 but usually resembles young male, being above dark reddish brown, 

 margined with light brown ; nape whitish, spotted with buff ; imderparts 

 white, broadly streaked with brown ; tail brown, crossed with narrow 

 bands of lighter brown and tipped with white. Length 12 inches. 



* My friend Colonel Delme-Radcliffe, with his vast knowledge of practical 

 falconry, considers the Merlin to be one of the most cowardly of the tribe. This 

 is rather against the theory of book or table naturalists, that it is one of the 

 most courageous of the Falconida}, and there is little doubt that deeds commonly 

 attributed to the Merlin are those of the Tiercel or male Peregrine. 



