. The natural history of British birds, or, A selection of the most rare, beautiful and interesting birds which inhabit this country : the descriptions from the Systema naturae of Linnaeus : with general observations, either original or collected from the latest and most esteemed English ornithologists : and embellished with figures, drawn, engraved, and coloured from the original specimens . ound-ifh, and one inch and a quarter in length. The Merlin appearsin England when the Hobby difappears, which happens in October. This fpecies, like the Hobby, feems to vary exceedingly in colourin differ
. The natural history of British birds, or, A selection of the most rare, beautiful and interesting birds which inhabit this country : the descriptions from the Systema naturae of Linnaeus : with general observations, either original or collected from the latest and most esteemed English ornithologists : and embellished with figures, drawn, engraved, and coloured from the original specimens . ound-ifh, and one inch and a quarter in length. The Merlin appearsin England when the Hobby difappears, which happens in October. This fpecies, like the Hobby, feems to vary exceedingly in colourin different fpecimens; in fome the back and wings are bluifh afh-colour #, in others ferruginous: the bars of clay-colour and dufky onthe tail, are from thirteen to fifteen in moit. birds; but Mr. Pennantfays, one he examined had only eight; our fpecimen has twelve barsacrofs. The length of the Merlin is twelve inches: though fmall, it wasformerly trained for hawking, particularly for taking partridges,which fome authors fay, it could kill by a fingle ftroke on the Merlin flies low, frequents the fides of roads, and fkims fromone part to another in fearch of prey. It is defcribed as a birdwanting neither cunning nor fpirit. It is at this time very fcarce inEngland, and feems to be uncommon in every part of Europe. * A fpecimen in the Lererian Mufeum anfwers to this description. PLATE. PLATE XCV. CORVUS PlC^E, Bill comprefTed, convex. GENERIC CHARACTER. Bill ftrong, conic with bridles reflected from the bafe bifid. SPECIFIC CHARACTER AND with black and white. Tail fhaped like a wedge, Corvus Pica: albo nigroque varius, cauda cuneiformi. Linn*Syji. Nat. I. p, 106, 48. No, 10. edit. 10*Scop. ann. 1. p. 38, No, 41,Pica varia et caudata. Gefn, av> 695,Magpie or Planet. Rain Syn. f 41, A. 1, Will. Orn. p. 127. p. 19. Albin. I, pi 15. Ren. Br. Z00L I. JV*. 78. £#/£„ Gw, *S)fl, /*. L p* 392. 29. La PLATE XCV. La Pie. Brif. Qrn. 2. p
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Keywords: ., bookauthordonova, bookauthorlathamjohn17401837, booksubjectbirds
