The Merlin, though (mall, is not deficient in courage, but 

 will attack partridges, quails, and young hares and rabbits ; 

 it was formerly ufed in hawking, principally for taking 

 larks, which it pounces, and generally kills at a blow ; it 

 often plucks its prey previous to devouring it, but this prac- 

 tice is not general, as the pair before mentioned had a large 

 quantity of feathers and fur in the ftomach, and what was 

 remarkable, there were two among them that had evidently 

 belonged to a magpie. 



This bird but rarely breeds in this country. Mr. Montague 

 mentions the following inftance : " In the middle of a high 

 clump of heath, upon the moors of Northumberland, we 

 fourid three young ones about half grown, but no neft ; they 

 were well concealed, and would not have been difcovered but 

 by a fetting dog making a point at them : the eggs are faid to 

 be of a plain chocolate colour, and that an inftance has been 

 known of its depofiting them in a deferted crow's neft." 



In rapidity of flight, this bird is rarely furpaffed, fo 

 quick are its movements, that few fmall birds efcape it 5 it 

 flies very low, almoft touching the ground, or brufhing the 

 hedges with its wings ; it is a migrative fpecies, leaving this 

 country early in fpring, and returning about September or 

 O&ober. 



