VOL. XV.] BKEEDING-HABITS OF MERLIN. 249 



thing was fetched out and re-examined before a third try 

 was made. It was only after the sixth effort that he was 

 quite convinced that he was attempting the impossible 

 and gave it up in disgust. His feelings must have been 

 seriously hurt, when his mother at the next feed spotted 

 the dainty morsel and swallowed it at a gulp ! 



Now that their feathers were rapidly coming they seemed 

 to spend even more time in preening. The loose bits of 

 down kept coming away in their beaks. Each one was 

 swallowed, though being so small and fluffy and dry, each 



Merlin: Fig. 12. Watching the mother's approach. 

 {Photographed by W. Rowan.) 



proved an effort. When preening an awkward spot, e.9,.. 

 the throat, the eyes were always closed. 



In the evening, when they were livelier than at other 

 times, they now went far afield. It was indeed only at odd 

 moments that I could get a view of one at all, vigorously 

 flapping his wings, or stretching, or else sitting still with 

 head bobbing hard up and down, gaze concentrated on 

 something in the distance — usually a fly at the top of a tali 

 heather branch. 



That feeding themselves was still a new idea was evident 

 whenever a bird was brought down to them, for they still 

 clamoured to be fed, and continued whimpering for^ some 



