208 HANDBOOK OF BRITISH INLAND BIRDS 
or no nest ; but occasionally the Merlin will occupy 
an old Crow's nest in a tree, like the Kestrel 
or Hobby. The eggs are of the characteristic 
Hobby or small-spotted Kestrel type, but the dense 
frecklings are of a considerably darker shade of 
red, approaching a crimson-brown, or purplish 
chocolate-colour. Three to five is the usual 
number. 
KESTREL. 
{Falco tinnunculus.) 
Windhover, Stannel Hawk. — The Kestrel is the 
commonest of our British Hawks, and is well 
known to most people who pay any attention to 
birds at all from its striking habit of hanging 
poised in the air, on motionless or steadily beating 
wings, as it eyes the ground beneath for the mice 
on which it chiefly feeds. It also eats beetles and 
other insects, as well as now and then a reptile or 
small bird. Very exceptionally, a Kestrel will 
seize young Pheasants from among the coops ; but 
to shoot all Kestrels at sight for their supposed 
destructiveness to game is just about as reasonable 
as it would be to hang all the population of the 
British Islands because now and then a murder is 
committed by a criminal. The Kestrel is one or 
the most useful birds we possess, and little by little 
