The booke of falconrie or havvking for the onely delight and pleasure of all noblemen and gentlemen : collected out of the best authors, aswell Italians as Frenchmen, and some English practises withall concerning falconrie / heretofore published by George Turbervile, Gentleman.

Of the Merlyn.

[illustration] depiction of hawk

THere is a kind of Falcon that is called a Merlyn. These Merlyns are very much like the haggart falcon in plume, in seare of the foot, in beake and tallons. So as there sameth to be no ods or difference at all betwixt them, saue only in the big∣nesse, for she hath like demeanure, like plume, & very like con∣ditions to the Falcon, and in her kind is of like courage, & there∣fore must be kept as choicely, and as daintily as the Falcon.

Assuredly diuers of these Merlyns, become passing good

Hawkes and very skilfull, their property by nature is to kill Thruthes, Larkes, & Partridges. They flee with greater firce∣nes, & more hotely then any other hawke of prey. They are of greater pleasure, and full of courage, but a man must make greater care, and take good héed to them, for they are such busie & vnruely things with their beakes, as diuers times they eate off their own feet and talons very vnnaturally, so as they die of it. And this is the reason and true cause, that seldom or ne∣uer shall you see a mewed, or entermewed Merlin. For that in the mew they doe spoyle themselues, as I haue before declared.

My Italian Authour hath these words, both of the shape and in commendation of the Merlin.

The Merline is (saith he) of the shape of a Falcon, lesse than the Sparowhawke, more nimble and wight of wing than any other Hawke, she doth kill all such game and prey as the Spa∣rowhawk doth vse to slay, specially smal birds, namely Larks, Sparowes and such like, all which shée doth pursue with excée∣ding cruelty and courage.

She is reported to be a Hawke of the fist, and not of the lure, albeit a man may if he will, make her to the lure also. She is a very ventrous hawke and hardy, by this we may coniectture it: For though shée be little bigger then a pigeon, yet notwith∣standing, she will hazard her selfe to flée the Partridge, the Quail, and such other like fowles, more large then her selfe, & will pursue them in so cruell manner; as sundry times she fol∣loweth them, euen to the villages and townes whether the silly birdes doe flee for ayde and rescue, from their naturall foe the Hawke.

The Merlin is the only Hawke of all others, in whom as my authour affirmeth, there is no difference betwixt the male & fe∣male, but yet by experience we find it otherwise, for the female is y^e larger bird of the two, & more big then the other in sight.

Some are of opinion, that Lidos, Hieraz in Gréek & Levis Accipiter in Latine, is our Merlin of whom we speake, & that those birds of prey whome Aristotle termeth (Leves) to our iudgement should be the Merlins, because they are the lesse Hawkes of all others that are to be found.