100 ACCIPITRES. 



weight is about a fifth ; but still the krk is a bird of no 

 mean flight. On a stretch, it would soon be overtaken ; but 

 it wheels and doubles, and often throws the pursuer out to a 

 considerable distance. But the hobby has an excellent eye, 

 and not only makes up rapidly, but actually turns the wheel- 

 ings of the lark to account, by crossing to meet it on the 

 return ; and as fear and exertion together wear out the lark, 

 the hobby dashes in by a desperate effort, and the lark is no 

 more. 



The hobby also flies at snipes, young partridges, and many 

 other birds. It is bold, can continue a long time on the 

 wing, and, though light, it acquires no small force from the 

 rapidity of its motions. The hobby was one of the noble 

 hawks, and for small game a very favourite one. 



THE MERLIN (Falco (BSdlon). 



The merlin is another of the small falcons, but, like the 

 hobby, very bold and rapid on the wing : and it is more 

 remarkable for the difference in colour between the two 

 sexes, than any of those already noticed. The prevailing 

 colour of the male on the upper parts is greyish blue, with 

 black markings, and the shafts of the feathers black. On 

 the under side it is white on the breast, passing into salmon 

 colour toward the sides of the neck, and on the belly and 

 long feathers of the legs marked with lines, arrow-head spots, 

 and lines of dusky. The lines are most conspicuous on the 

 under sides of the quills, the spots on the flanks and belly, 

 and the sides of the neck. Tips of the tail feathers white ; 

 about an inch within that, dusky black ; the rest of the 

 feathers bluish grey, with dusky bars on the inner webs. 

 The bars vary considerably in number, and, indeed, the 

 colour of the whole plumage is subject to considerable 

 variations. That might be expected from the difference that 

 there is between the colour of the young and the mature 



