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body are coloured like the back on the outer 
webs ; the inner webs spotted as the others ; 
the two first feathers are much indented tow- 
ards the point of the inner web, as if cut with 
a pair of scissors The third feather rather 
exceeds the second in length, and is the 
longest feather in the wing. 
Both sexes vary in the number of the bars 
on the tail, some specimens having thirteen or 
fourteen, others not more than five or six ; but 
the tip is invariably white. 
As most of the specimens of this bird to be 
found in museums are of a brown colour, simi- 
lar to the description of the female above 
given, we think it not improbable that the 
young male may resemble its female parent 
(as before observed in the Hen Harrier, &c.) 
and not acquire its full plumage until the 
second or third moulting. This may in some 
measure account for the discordant opinions 
before stated. Most authors agree that the 
Merlin varies from ten to twelve inches in 
length. 
It is considered a sa migratory species, ar- 
riving in this country in October, about the 
the time that the Hobby disappears. In- 
