FALCO iESALON* 



ME R L I N. 



Generic Character. See Falco Chry fetos. 

 Synonyms. 



Falco ^Esalon. Lath. Ind. Orn. 1. 49. 119. 

 Merlin. Br. Zool. 1.63. Ib. fol. tab. A. 12. Lath. 



Syn. 1. p. 106. 93. i£. ////tf. />. 29. 



Mont. Orn. Dift. Bewick's Br. Birds, Ft. i, 



h 79- 



JL H I S, the fmalleft fpecies of Britifh hawk, is in length' 

 about ten inches, and weighs about fix ounces ; the female 

 rather exceeds twelve inches in length, and weighs about nine 

 ounces. Bill much hooked ; irides yellow ; the two firft quill 

 feathers have the appearance of being cut on the inner web | 

 wings when clofed not fo long as the tail by about one inch 

 and a half. 



In colour the female differs but little from the male, but is 

 readily diftinguimed by its fuperior fize. Buffon fays this is 

 the only fpecies where the male and female are of the fame 

 fize ; but that this is an error, we were convinced on diffecV 

 ing a pair mot in October 1810, in the neighbourhood of 

 Cambridge, and from which the above defcriptions were 

 taken • both fexes vary in the number of bars on the tail, but 

 the tip is invariably white. 



The 



