1 1 6 
Taylor: The Habits of the Merlin. 
This bird seemed very shy and I erected a heather shelter 
about forty feet from the nest, the heather between it and the 
nest being bent aside to allow a clear view of the nest and 
bird. Two long waits at this nest resulted in absolutely 
nothing either seen or heard, and I finally abandoned the 
attempt, not wishing to cause her to desert. The eggs even- 
tually hatched but the young were all drowned later during a 
very severe storm. This was the more regrettable as I do not 
suppose she would nest again, and the keepers tell me that 
their experience confirms this, though there are authentic 
records of the Merlin laying again when her eggs have been 
taken. 
The third nest was situated in deep heather in a little 
valley and near the bank of a small moorland rill. It contained 
four young, perhaps a fortnight old. I spent nearly a week 
watching at this nest and had quite an interesting time. On 
this occasion I was hidden with my camera, and only about 
eight feet from the nest. Photographically the conditions 
were very bad. 
The young were fed in the morning and late afternoon 
principally, as I think they usually are at this stage — daybreak 
to ii a.m., and 4 p.m. to dusk. The food consisted of small 
passerine birds which were previously plucked, and which I 
judged to be chiefly pipits ; these she usually screened from me 
with her body, and it was impossible, as a rule, exactly to deter- 
mine the species. I could always tell when she was approach- 
ing the nest as the young followed her every motion with 
intense eagerness, and I could see the four fluffy white heads 
all moving together. As she neared the nest the excitement 
increased, until as she alighted they would all scramble towards 
her on their ankle joints, almost climbing over one another 
in their efforts to be first. On alighting she usually had a good 
look at my shelter, and feeling reassured she would commence 
to tear up the prey into small pieces, dealing them out care- 
fully, and watching how each piece was swallowed. Her 
patience was wonderful, and when one of the young had 
difficulty in swallowing an awkward piece she would gently 
take it away and readjust it, aways returning it to the same 
youngster. Most of the food went to the three larger birds, 
evidently females, while a young male in the nest had hard 
work to get any. If one of them grabbed a piece she offered 
to another she would take it away again, and I thought as I 
watched her that she was a very fair and gentle bird, except 
where the young male was concerned. I thought also that 
she took a very obvious pride in her progeny. I had to keep 
exceedingly quiet in the tent, the slight click made by my 
shutter always sending her screaming off. The cock bird at 
this nest did most of the hunting, and his usual practice was 
Naturalist, 
