THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



258 



markably courageous in pursuit of its prey, 

 which consists of Jsmall birds, such as larks 

 and thrushes. But it will also attack game 

 as large as partridges or ptarmigan, so bold 

 and fearless is it. Thompson says that in 

 Ireland it frequents the seashore in pursuit 

 of dunlin, and other shore birds. It does 

 not ascend and strike its victim from above, 

 as is the case with the Peregrine and others, 

 but gives chase, and captures its prey by 

 excess of speed. It will also feed upon cock- 

 chafers, and probably other large insects. 



In confinement it is easily tamed. Mr. 

 Lloyd had one which he shot and winged. 

 He kept it in a walled garden for some time, 

 and it soon learnt to come to its name, to 

 follow the gardener, and pick up earth 

 worms which he turned up with his spade. 



Habitat- — This species breeds in Scot- 

 land, in several parts of Ireland, and also in 

 the north of England, In the south it occurs 

 as a winter visitor. It frequents the high 

 moorland districts, and seems particularly 

 fond of sitting on the isolated blocks of stone 

 found in such localities. 



Abroad it is met with nearly all over 

 Europe, common in the northern parts ; 

 even, according to Temminck, within the 

 Arctic circle. It is also found in various 

 F arts of Asia and Africa, but in the New 

 World its place is supplied by a nearly 

 allied species — Falco colnmbarius. 



Nest — The nest of the Merlin is generally 

 placed upon the ground among heather, Han- 

 cock says, prefering a sloping ground among 

 large tumbled stones He mentions one pair 

 which occupied the nest of a crow, and 

 Montague mentions a similar instance. In 

 Lapland and other countries it occasionally 

 builds in trees, but in Orkney and Shetland 

 it places its nest on the face of precipices. 

 The nest when placed on the ground is very 

 slightly made of sticks, lined with a little 

 wool or grass, 



Egg's - -The eggs, from four to six in 

 number, are laid about the first week in June. 

 Mr. Wheelwright says in his " Spring and 



Summer in Lapland," "when first laid the 

 eggs of the Merlin have a beautiful violet-red 

 tinge with red-brown spots ; this, however, 

 soon fade.-,, and they assume a red-brown 

 ground colour, with dirty brown spots. 

 Some very nearly approach those of the Kes- 

 trel, but are generally rather smaller, and 

 finer in the markings." 



REVIEW. 



We have received the " Official Catalogue 

 of the Mechanics' Institute Collection of 

 Birds in the Bradford Public Free Art 

 Museum." Such exhibition of specimens, 

 open to public inspection, are always of the 

 greatest utility, especially when free. In 

 some cases, when the institution is not sup- 

 ported at public expense, it is necessary to 

 make a small charge for admission, to which 

 no one would object, but in either case such 

 collections and museums tend very greatly 

 to people's enjoyment, but let anyone call 

 back his feelings after walking through a 

 museum, and ask himself the question — did 

 I he not feel happier, did he not feel more 

 j enlightened, more a man for what he had 

 ; seen. It is therefore with the greatest 

 i pleasure that we hail every new project of 

 i this kind, because we think they are calcu- 

 lated to create a more thoughtful, a better, 

 and a more sober generation. We would 

 like to say a word or two on the get-up of 

 such catalogues as these. The one before us 

 I is not arranged in scientific order, which we 

 think is one defect. There is a copious list 

 of synonyms, English and scientific to each 

 species. These we think is hardly necessary 

 in a catalogue intended for the public, which 

 ! generally do not take an interest in hard 

 i scientific nomenclature. We think a cata- 

 1 logue intended for the public, if it contains 

 j anything more than the mere names of the 

 objects, should contain some popular infor- 

 ' mation. We take an example from the 

 j catalogue to illustrate our meaning, 



