118 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Soft parts. — Bill blue-horn, blackish at tip, base of under 

 mandible yellow ; cere yellow ; bare skin round eye bluish ; legs 

 and feet pale yellow ; iris dark brown. 



Characters and allied forms. — F. c. insignis (Turkestan, 

 China, Japan) male is slightly paler grey on upper -parts and female 

 and young decidedly paler brown ; F. c. pallidus (Khirgiz steppes) 

 male is pale ashy-blue, female pale and more rufous on upper-parts ; 

 F. c. lymani (Altai) is said to be like last but larger, but is unknown 

 to me ; F. c. columbarius (N. America) is darker than F. c. cesalon 

 in both sexes and bars on wing-feathers whiter and on tail broader. 

 Merlin can be distinguished from other British Falcons by its small 

 size, streaked under -parts, nuchal band, and want of moustachial 

 stripe. 



Field -characters. — Smallest British Falcon, male scarcely 

 exceeding Blackbird in size ; frequents in nesting-season moors, 

 mountains, heathy brows above sea-cliffs, and, less often, sand- 

 dunes, but at other times resorts as well to marshes, low-lying 

 coasts and open country generally. Coloration — slate-blue with 

 broad black tail-band and no moustachial stripe — coupled with 

 small size clearly indicates male. Female might be confused with 

 hen Kestrel, but plumage is dark brown above and white streaked 

 with brown below ; not reddish-brown above and reddish-fawn 

 below, whilst flight is very different — close to ground, buoj^ant, 

 impetuous and dashing, and marked by few intervals of gliding. 

 Bolder and more vociferous than Kestrel, resenting invasion of 

 nesting-place by a chattering scream " kik-ik-ik-ik-ik-ik, " akin to, 

 but shriller than that of Peregrine. 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts moorlands in north England and 

 Scotland, but in Wales is found on sheep-walks, sea-cliffs, and dune- 

 land. Nest. — Generally on ground, sheltered by heather, a mere 

 scratching with apology for lining a few heather stalks or grass 

 bents. In trees and cliffs old nests of other species (generally 

 Crows) are annexed, while in sand-dunes a fairly neat nest of bents 

 and marram grass is made. Eggs. — Usually 4, occasionally 5, 

 while a few instances of 6 are on record. Normally thickly and 

 evenly stippled with purplish-brown, ranging to red -brown ; 

 rather elongated in shape, with a character of their own but varieties 

 cannot be distinguished with certainty. 100 British eggs average 

 39.9x31.2. Max.: 42.4x32 and 41.4x33.8. Min. : 37x29.1 and 

 40.3 X 29 mm. Breeding-season. — From early May to about May 20 

 for first layings. Incubation.- — By both sexes but chiefly by female. 

 Period 29-30 days (Paton). Fledging -period. — 26 days in nest, but 

 young remain close by till end of month (Paton). Single brooded. 

 Food. — Small birds, exceptionally a few insects. Nearly all 

 observers note entire absence of game-birds, but E. W. Taylor 

 has recorded exceptionally young of Bed Grouse, Partridge and 

 Woodcock. Normally feeds on small birds, especially Meadow- 



