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initiated in the art of swimming and diving. At this time the parent 
bird shows the greatest solicitude for the safety of her brood, and 
resorts to strange tactics to lead an intruder from where her ducklings 
are concealed, imitating the actions of a wounded bird, and often in 
extremity feigning death, till, her ruse being successful, and the 
intruder drawn to a distance, she throws off pretence, and taking 
wing rapidly disappears. 
Merlin — This little falcon is the smallest of our British birds of 
prey. Though small in size it is powerful and daring, attacking 
fearlessly and ofttimes successfully birds considerably larger than 
itself. It is a bird of the moorland, where it may be seen perched 
upon some stone standing above the heather ; hence its other name 
of “ Stone Falcon." It is considered by the gamekeeper an enemy, 
and no doubt the Merlin takes, like the bold pirate that he is, a 
tribute from the humbler folk inhabiting his domain. The Merlin 
makes its nest upon the ground amid the heather and there lays 
its four or five eggs, white in ground-colour, but this barely 
visible through the suffusion of reddish-brown, with which the eggs 
are thickly covered. The plumage of the Merlin is blue-black above, 
the breast dull white with black markings, and the bird with his 
hooked bill and proud carriage looks what he is, a bold and dashing 
fellow. 
Moor-hen — The Moor-hen or Waterhen, is resident with us 
throughout the year, is abundant and widely distributed, frequenting 
ponds, lakes, and streams ; being particularly fond of a back-water 
on the last. It is seldom to be found far from water, where, being 
extremely tame, it may be easily observed either walking along the 
shore or swimming out and in amid the reeds and water herbage, 
pursuing the insects on which it mostly feeds. The nest is a 
structure of dead leaves, flags, or rushes, and is frequently placed 
upon the low out-reaching bough of a willow tree, where it meets the 
surface of the water, though occasionally a nest may be found built 
at a height of several feet. The eggs, from eight to ten in 
number, are of dull creamy colour with spots of dark brown. The 
young are thickly covered with black down, and very speedily betake 
themselves to the water, where at an early age many meet an 
untimely end within the ravenous maw of the pike. In colour the 
Moor-hen is of a greenish-black, the bill greenish-yellow, 
and it is to be distinguished from its congener the Coot, 
which frequents very similar localities, by the absence of the white 
frontal patch on the head, which is the outstanding feature of the 
latter bird. 
Partridge — This game bird is abundantly and widely distributed, 
but more common in the low lying and agricultural parts of our 
country than in the bare and less culiivatcd highlands. 1 1 is an 
especial lover of the corn-growing districts, making its nest in the 
hedge rows, where it lays up to sixteen, or even more, eggs of a 
buff colour, unspotted. The Partridge is a careful mother, as indeed 
she must be with so large a family to look after. Like other 
of our game birds, the Partridge is a swift runner, and if cover 
of any kind is near, is difficult to flush. These birds roost upon 
the ground, the covey gathering together in a small circle, heads 
outward, and numbers fall victims through this habit to the artifices 
of the poaching fraternity. In colour the Partridge is of a brownish- 
grey, ornamented in the breeding season by a chestnut-coloured 
marking of horse-shoe shape upon the breast. 
