MERLIN. 55 
genous in several northern counties. It breeds also in 
Scotland, in Orkney, and in Shetland; and is included by 
Muller and M. Nilsson among the birds of Denmark, 
Sweden, and Norway. It inhabits Germany and France, 
and from thence southward to the shores of the Mediter- 
ranean. It has been found in Sicily and Malta. Mr. 
Strickland includes the Merlin among the birds seen by 
him at Smyrna in the winter of 1835-6; but it was con- 
sidered rare: it has been found also at Erzeroom and in 
Egypt. Dr. Andrew Smith obtained examples of it as 
far south as the vicinity of the Cape of Good Hope ; but 
this last may prove not to be identical with the true Merlin 
of Europe. 
Dr. Richardson obtained two specimens of the Merlin in 
the fur-countries of the North American continent, both 
of them females, one of which is figured by Mr. Swainson 
in the Fauna Boreali-Americana; but this bird is not 
recognised by name as going so far south on that conti- 
nent as the United States, since it is not mentioned by 
Wilson or Mr. Nuttall, or Mr. Audubon. 
The Merlin makes its scanty nest on the ground, laying 
four or five eggs, mottled all over with two shades of 
reddish brown, and measuring one inch seven lines in 
length, by one inch three lines in breadth. In North 
Wales, the young birds are called Stone Falcons; but 
among Ornithologists the Stone Falcon is considered to be 
an adult bird. It is not, however, improbable that the 
habit of sitting on a bare stone or portion of rock, by 
which this species has acquired the name of Stone Falcon, 
is common to it at all ages, and in other countries, In 
France it is called Le Rochier, and Faucon de Roche; and 
in Germany, Stein Falke. This bird occasionally builds on 
rocks. 
