The little Merlin is another 
British hawk, and is employed for 
chasing the smaller birds of prey. 
This beautiful little bird is 
almost invaluable to the young 
falconer, as it is so docile in dis- 
position and so remarkably in- 
telligent in character, that it re- 
pays his instructions much sooner 
than any of the more showy, but 
less teachable Falcons. Every 
movement of this admirable little 
hawk is full of life and vivacity ; 
its head turns sharply from side to 
side as it sits on its master’s hand, 
its eyes almost flame with fiery 
eagerness, and it ever and anon 
gives vent to its impatience by 
a volley of ear-piercing shrieks. 
There is, however, a singular ca- 
priciousness in the character of the 
Merlin, for it seems to be so sen- 
sitive to certain influences which 
are quite imperceptible to human 
beings, that the same individual 
which on one day or at one hour is 
full of fierce energy, chasing large 
and powerful birds of its own 
accord, following the course of the 
snipe with awing as agile and far 
more enduring than its own, or 
shooting suddenly through the 
tangled branches of the under- 
MERL1N . — Hypotriorchis cesalon . 
wood in pursuit of some prey that is fleeing to the leafy abode for refuge, will at 
another time become listless and even if it be induced to fly at its qqarry, will 
turn suddenly away as if alarmed, and return languidly to its perch. 
With all these drawbacks, however, the Merlin is one of the very best little 
hawks that ever was put into training, for it can be taught to fly at anything that 
is indicated, and seems to care nothing for size. 
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