ic6 



FALCON,. 



92. 



SPOTTED-. 



TAILED 



H. 



N. S. 



De5CRI.PT. ion. 



CIZE of 'a Sparrow Hawk. Bill black : cere clufky : the head;,.. 



neck, lower part of the back, and the under parts, are cine- 

 reous : the plumage elfewhere of a very dark lead-colour,, almoft 

 black: prime quills ferruginous on the inner webs, but not quite 

 to the end:: on each tail-feather (except the two middle ones, 

 which are plain) are three white fpots on the inner web only ; 

 the firft fomewhat above an inch from the tip; the next at about 

 equal diftance between' that and the bafe; and the third nearly at 

 the bafe itfelf: the legs are fhort and yellow: claws black: the: 

 wings reach beyond the middle of the tail. 



This fpecimen is in the collection of Mifs Blomefield,, who, re- 

 ceived it from Cayenne. 



I. do not find it mentioned by any authir. 



93- , 

 MEkUN.. 



Description. 



L'Emerillon, Brif. orn. i. p. 382. N° 23,. 



jEfalon Bellonii & Aldrovandi, Rail Syit. p. 15. N 6 lj*. 



Kleinfte rothe-falck, Frifcb. t. 89. 



Merlin, Wilt. orn.. p. 8;. t. 3, 



— Br. Zool. N° 63. 



Br. Muf. Lev. Muf. . 



THE length of the Merlin is twelve inches and a half: the 

 fize fcarce bigger than a Blackbird. The bill is of a blueiih 

 lead-colour: cere pale yellow : irides> very dark: head ferru- 

 ginous; each feather marked with a blueiih black ftreak down 

 the fhaft : back and wings blueiih afh-colour, ftreaked and 

 fpotted with ferruginous : the edges are of the fame colour : 

 the quills are almoft black, marked with reddifh oval fpots : the 



under 



