28 ART AND PRACTICE OF HAWKING 



The breast at the same time assumes a warmer tint, deepening 

 from cream colour at the chin to a rich buff lower down, and 

 deep russet at the flanks. The cere, eyelids, legs, and feet 

 assume a deep golden or light orange colour. The wing and 

 tail feathers have a stronger and stiffer appearance than before 

 the moult, and those of the tail are generally somewhat shorter 

 as well as stouter than they were. Very old females occa- 

 sionally, but not often, put on the livery of the adult male ; and 

 this is the case sometimes also with old female kestrels. In 

 merlins of both sexes the third feather of the wing is usually 

 exactly equal in length to the second, and it is only excep- 

 tionally that it is even fractionally shorter. 



The name merlin is in orthodox phraseology reserved to the 

 female merlin only, the male being more properly spoken of as 

 a jack. The former, when exceptionally strong and courageous, 

 may be flown with some success at partridges, and will also take 

 house-pigeons and probably doves. They have been known to 

 capture and kill wood-pigeons. Both sexes may be flown at 

 quails, and are more deadly at this business than sparrow-hawks. 

 In the wild state they kill blackbirds, thrushes, starlings, and 

 almost all kinds of small birds, and the trained birds may be 

 kept with more or less success to any one of these birds of 

 quarry. It has been thought that a good cast of merlins might 

 take snipe, and it is said that such a feat has been in former 

 times achieved. With tropical snipe in an overfed or moulting ■ 

 condition, it is possible that this might still be done ; but it is 

 to be greatly doubted whether any trained merlin or merlins 

 could take fully-moulted English snipe. The flight, however, 

 for which merlins are usually reserved, and for which they are 

 renowned, is that at moulting skylarks, and in this sport the 

 jacks are very nearly as successful as their sisters, as will be 

 seen in the chapter on lark-hawking. The merlin will follow 

 her quarry when she can into covert ; and when her victim is 

 larger than herself, kills it by strangulation, gripping it tightly 

 round the neck. 



Indian Merlin {Falco chicquera) 



This hawk, a little larger than the European merlin, is flown 

 at much the same quarry, but also at rollers and hoopoes, which 

 latter afford a fine ringing flight. 



The African Merlin (F. ruficollis) has the markings on 

 the breast closer together. 



