56 FALCONIDA. 
The Merlin measures from ten to twelve inches in 
length, depending on the sex of the specimen. An old 
male has the beak bluish horn colour, palest at the base, 
darkest towards the tip; the cere yellow, the irides dark 
brown; the top of the head blue grey, with dark lines 
passing backward; the cheeks, and from thence round 
the back of the neck, pale reddish brown, also marked 
with dark streaks, forming a collar; the whole of the 
back and wing-coverts fine blue grey,* the shaft of each 
feather forming a dark central line ; wmg-primaries pitch 
black ; upper surface of the tail-feathers bluish grey over 
two-thirds of their length, with slight indications of three 
dark bands, the distal third nearly uniform black, the tips 
of all the feathers white; the chin and throat white; 
breast, belly, thighs, and under tail-coverts, rufous, with 
brown central patches, and darker brown streaks; under 
surface of the tail-feathers barred with two shades of grey, a 
broad dark terminal band, and white tips; legs and toes 
yellow; claws black. 
In the female, the top of the head, back, wing-coverts, 
and secondaries are dark liver brown, the shaft of each 
feather darker, the edge tipped with red ; the tail-feathers 
brown, with five narrow transverse bars of wood brown ; 
under surface of the body pale brownish white, with 
darker brown longitudinal patches; the beak, cere, eyes, 
legs, toes, and claws as in the male. Young males resemble 
the females; and in birds of the year, the wings do not 
reach so far towards the end of the tail as in those that 
are adult. 
* <The Elfin king, like the Merlin’s wing, 
Are his pinions of glossy blue.” 
Lewis’s Tales of Wonder. 
