76 Falconidce. 



That same able writer gives a similar very interesting account of 

 a Merlin which regularly attended him when he was out snipe 

 shooting in Ireland, in order to get a share of the game. It 

 seemed to have no fear of his gun, but would follow him at a 

 little distance and watch the birds that he fired at ; if they were 

 killed by the shot the Merlin never meddled with them, but 

 seemed to consider them the lawful share of the sportsman ; if, 

 however, any bird was wounded and partially disabled, it 

 instantly pursued and caught it, and carried it off. At first there 

 was but one, but subsequently a second a female joined it, and 

 they regularly made their appearance as long as the sportsman 

 continued in the neighbourhood. Sometimes, at the very com- 

 mencement of the day's sport, the merlins might not be there, 

 but the first report of the gun was generally sufficient to summon 

 one or both of them to the scene of action, and a wounded snipe, 

 however slightly touched by the shot, had no chance of escape 

 from their united efforts. First, one would rise above it in a 

 succession of circular gyrations (for he was unable to ascend in 

 such a direct line as the snipe), then he would make a swoop, 

 and if he missed, his companion, who in the meantime had been 

 working upwards in a similar manner, would next try her luck, 

 and in this manner they would pursue the quarry, until the 

 persecuted bird, unable to ascend higher, or any longer avoid the 

 fatal stroke, was at last clutched by one of the little falcons, 

 when the other would hasten to ' bind to it,' and all three 

 descend together into the bog. After a performance of this sort 

 an hour would occasionally elapse before the return of either of 

 the merlins, sometimes more, sometimes less, but they never 

 seemed willing to give up the sport until at least three snipes 

 had fallen to their own share. The Merlin is often called the 

 ' Stone Falcon/ from its habit of perching on a large stone in the 

 open country, which it frequents ; for the same reason it is 

 called in France Le Rockier and Faucon de Roche, in Germany 

 Stein Falke, and in Sweden Sten-Falk. Its more correct name in 

 France is Faucon Emerillon. Bewick supposed it did not breed 

 here, but Selby, Yarrell, and others prove it does so, at any rate 



