PLAT? wom, 
L’Emerillon, Brif. Orn. 1. p. 382. No. 23. 
Belon. av. 118. 
Kleinfte rothe-falck, Frifch. t. 89. 
eee seen YE SR 
Mr. Pennant, and other writers on the Zoology of this country, 
{uppofed the Merlin never bred here, till Dr. Heyfham met with two 
nefts in Cumberland: they were placed on the ground like that of the 
Ringtail ; and in each were four young. The egg, formerly in the 
Portland Mufeum, was of an uniform purplifh brown colour, round- 
ifh, and one inch and a quarter in length. ‘The Merlin appears 
‘in England when the Hobby difappears, which happens in O@tober. 
This fpecies, like the Hobby, feems to vary exceedingly in colour 
in different fpecimens ; in fome the back and wings are bluifh afh- 
colour *, in others ferruginous: the bars of clay-colour and dufky on 
the tail, are from thirteen to fifteen in moft birds; but Mr. Pennant 
fays, one he examined had only eight; our fpecimen has twelve bars 
acrofs. 
~The length of the Merlin is twelve inches: though {mall, it was 
formerly trained for hawking, particularly for taking partridges, 
which fome authors fay, it could kill by a fingle ftroke on the neck. 
The Merlin flies low, frequents the fides of roads, and fkims from 
one part to another in fearch of prey. It is defcribed as a bird 
wanting neither cunning nor fpirit. It is at this time very fcarce in 
England, and feems to be uncommon in every part of Europe. 

* A fpecimen in the Leverian Mufeum anfwers to this defcription. 
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