THE FOOD OF THE MERLIN. 
OXLEY GRABHAM, M.A., M.B.0.U. 
Tuis beautiful little Hawk (/2/co esalon) has, I regret to say, been 
gradually disappearing from off many of our moorlands year by year, 
until, were it not for the protection afforded it in certain cases, it 
would soon rank as a bird of the past. This year, ona certain moor 
not far from Whitby, I am glad to say that, owing to the courtesy of 
the shooting tenant, I was able to obtain a free pass for two pairs of 
the birds that were on his moor, and also an assurance that they 
should be allowed to rear their broods in peace, for it is chiefly, Iam 
sorry to say, owing to the ignorance and prejudice with regard to all 
our raptorial birds that many of them have been brought to the brink 
of extinction. As I was able to prove from the examination of many 
pellets, even whilst feeding their young, the prey consisted almost 
entirely of Meadow Pipits, beetles, and large moths, chiefly Oak 
Eggars, and only in one instance did I find remains of a young 
Grouse. I do not for a moment deny that these birds occasionally, 
very occasionally, will take a young Grouse or Partridge, but surely, 
to the lover of nature, that is but a small price to pay in return for 
thick lichen that grows so plentifully at its roots. A few broken 
twigs of the ling were placed, and four eggs laid in each case, from 
which again three young birds in each were reared. There was no 
larder near the nests, but at a distance of about two hundred yards, 
in a bare patch, where there were a few big stones, the old birds 
tore their prey to pieces, and there were pellets, wings, feathers, 
elytra of beetles, and wings of moths. These places for the tearing- 
up of their prey were similarly situated as regards the nests in each 
Instance, though the nests themselves were more than four miles 
seeds and old flowers of the ling, and I think that these must have 
taken in when catching the Moths, either at rest on, OF flying 
close above, the ling, and swallowed with the insect, also a few may 
have got on to the prey at the tearing-up place. One institution that 
T would gladly see abolished from off the moors is that abomination 
© pole trap. To my mind it isa device of the devil, for not only 
and useful birds are also murdered by these diabolical inventions, 
Aug. 1897. Q 
