} 341 
THE SUPPOSED INTER-BREEDING OF THE 
MERLIN AND KESTREL 
IN NORTHUMBERLAND, IN 1886. 
F, B. WHITLOCK, 
Beeston, Notts. 
DURING a visit to Harbottle in Upper Coquetdale in May of the 
present year, I heard for the first time the story of a supposed case 
of the inter-breeding of the Merlin (Falco esalon) and Kestrel 
(Zinnunculus alaudarius) in 1886. 
ave not seen the printed report, but I understand that it was 
communicated by the late Mr. Thompson, of Rothbury, to a member 
of the Berwickshire Naturalists’ Field Club, on the visit of the 
Society to Harbottle in 1887. 
I was visiting Harbottle at the time the occurrence is supposed 
to have taken place, and I made the acquaintance of Mr. Thompson, 
who then kept an inn in the village, and also of Mr. Peter Taylor, 
the gamekeeper who shot both the birds. Messrs. Thompson and 
Taylor, I understand, being the authorities on whom the record rests. 
As the report attracted some attention, Mr. Thompson, I hear, even 
receiving a letter from abroad requesting confirmation, I propose to 
shed a little light on the subject. 
On hearing that a Merlin and a Kestrel had been shot, the latter 
from off her nest, I called on Taylor, the keeper, to see what had 
become of the birds. He told me that he had given them to a 
gentleman who was fishing in the neighbourhood, and that he had 
taken them away with him to be stuffed. He also told me that he 
had not destroyed the eggs, and if I liked we could walk over to the 
nest and take them. I agreed to go, and accordingly on the following 
morning accompanied him to a moderately high escarpment over- 
looking Linnshiels Loch. The nest was in a little recess on the face 
of the cliff near to the summit, and the two highly-incubated eggs 
were easily reached. No Falcons were seen in the neighbourhood 
at the time. On packing the eggs I remarked that they were very 
much like Merlins’, but my companion appeared to be certain that 
the bird he had killed was a Kestrel. Near to the nest was the 
Stump of a tree which the Falcons had used as a feeding-place. 
Strewed around were the usual castings, which appeared to be 
principally composed of Meadow Pipits’ feathers. On returning 
ome I compared the two eggs with others in my collection, and was 
then certain they were true Merlins’ eggs. 
Nov. 1892, 
