The Merlin, though fmall, 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 
found 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 furpaflfed, fo 
quick are its movements, that few fmall birds efcape it ; it 
flies very low, almofl touching the ground, or brufliing the 
hedges with its wings ; it is a migrative fpecies, leaving this 
country early in fpring, and returning about September or 
O6lober» 
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