F A I. C O N, 2^ 



the throat only orange : chin plain white : fpace round the eyes 

 fparingly covered with feathers^ 



The fecond had a large rufous patch on the throat, in the mid- 

 dle of which was a fpot of white : the upper parts brown black, 

 barred with blueifh : breaft and belly the fame, but crofied with 

 narrow bars of white : lower belly, thighsv and vent, rufous: legs 

 orange. 



Both the above eame from Cayenne.- Placb. 



Merlin, Gen. Syn. i. p. 106. N° 95. MERLIN. 



TT has been fuppofed that the Merlin does not flay with us in 

 fummer; but I am affured by Dr. Heyjham that it breeds in 

 Cumberland, and that he has met with two nefts, in each of which 

 were four young, placed on the ground like that of the Ringtail. 

 The bird fuppofed to feed at a diftance from the neft. Thefe 

 birds vary much in colour: in fome, the back and wings are not 

 of a blueifh afh-colour, but ferruginous. Their manner of build- 

 ing alfo varies, a pair of them having built in an old Crow's nefl, 

 near Cowbit, in Lancajhire : of thefe it was obferved, that when 

 they firfl came, they were perpetually making a noifej but after 

 the hen had hatched, became quite filent *. Is met with on the 

 continent o( Europe, but we believe no where common : obferved 

 now and then in the Cafpian Defert and Baraba f . The egg is of 

 a plain chocolate-brown, roundifh, one inch and a quarter in 

 length X' The male and female both alike ||. 



* 



Gent. Mag. 1766. p, 24. f Mr. Pennant. 



% Portland Muf. \\ Hifi. de Lyon. i. p. 202. 



y 



Plain 



