Object Status:
Extant
Accession Date:
By 1799
Primary Source Reference:
Charles Willson Peale, Lecture on Natural History 13. (ca. 1799). Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40. / https://ansp.org/research/library/archives/0000-0099/coll0040/
Additional Source Text:
Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827) wrote, in his 13th Lecture (ca. 1799): "No. 30. Pidgeon Hawk, cere and feet yellow; brown back; belly white, a little ferruginous, and spotted with brown; tail, brown with 4 light bars. Pidgeon Catesby t. 3. Falco columbarius Linn. No. 31. Appears to be a variety of the same, perhaps a different sex. The spots on the breast […] a rufus colour. Both [are] natives of these states … No. 33. Merlin Hawk, … from Europe. Lead coloured back, with small lines of black; under parts white finishing on the legs to something of a russet colour; spotted with brown; the throat pure white; tail of the same colour as the back, shaded into black and finishing with white at the tip. Falco AEsalon Linn. l'emerillon Buff. The Merlin, though small, is not inferior in courage to any of the Falcon tribe. It was used for taking larks, partridges and quails, which it frequently killed at one blow, striking them on the breast, head or neck." (Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40)
Alexander Wilson (1766-1813) described this species under the name "Pigeon Hawk / Falco columbarius" in American Ornithology vol. 2 (Pl. 15), where "Peale's Museum No. 352" was cited (Wilson 1810: 107). / https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/175511#page/123/mode/1up (text) / https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/175511#page/118/mode/1up (plate)
Specimen Type:
Dead/preserved
Current Common Name:
Merlin
Current Scientific Name
Falconidae | Falco columbarius
