Class II. MERLIN. , 251 



Falco JEsalon. F. cera pedibus- Merllna TurnerL 23. Mer- 



,, (jue flavis, capite ferrugineo, Smerlus, Smerillus. Aldi.av. lin.* 



corpore supra coerulescente- i. I87. 



'I" cinereo iiiaculis striisque fer- TVil. orn. 85. ..j- .'lil 



>- _riigmeis, subtus flavioante- Rail syn. nv. 15. v ■ , 



r albo, maculis oblongis. Lath. L'Emerillon. Brisson av. i. ■ - 



^'' Ind. orn. 4Q. id. St/n. 1. IO6. 382. HisL dois. i. 288. 



y.i.«U Sup. \.2g. PL Enl. 468. 



Falco iEsalon. Gni. Lin. 284. Smerlio, o Smeriglio. Lorenzi 



L'Esmerlllon. Belon av. 118. av. tab. 18, I9. 



JEsalon. Gesnerav.44. £r. Zoo/. 70. plate A. 12. ' ■, 



J- HE merlin weighs nearly five ounces and a Descrip- 

 half : its length is twelve inches, its breadth ^^°^* 

 twenty five. The bill is of a bluish lead color : . ' . 

 the cere of a lemon color : the irides very dark, 

 almost black : the head is ferruginous, and each 

 feather is marked with a bluish black streak ' 



along the shaft. The back and wings are of a 

 deep bluish ash color, adorned with ferruginous 

 streaks and spots, and edged with the same : the 

 quil feathers are almost black, marked with red- 

 dish oval spots : the under coverts of the wings 

 brown, beautifully marked with round white 

 spots. The tail is five inches long, crossed with 

 aJternate bars of dusky and reddish clay color ; 

 ,on some of the feathers of the same bird are 



* Merularius; quia merulas insectatiir. Skinner. '. 



