Safe C++

Colophon

The animal on the cover of Safe C++ is the merlin (Falcon columbarius). Formerly known as the pigeon hawk, this bird was embraced for falconry among royalty in medieval Europe, especially by noble women—Mary Queen of Scots and Catherine the Great, in particular. There are various subspecies of the merlin, and it could be argued that there are two distinct variants: the North American merlin and the European merlin (Falcon aesalon).

This species is found at high latitudes all over North America in various habitats, including marshes, open woodland, and prairies. Merlins are migratory and, depending on the variant, will travel as far as South America and North Africa for winter months.

Merlins are lean, yet robust, birds of prey. Females are usually larger than males, growing up to nearly a foot in length with a wingspan of at least 20 inches. While female birds carry dark brown plumage, males usually have blue-gray colored feathers. Both have long, banded tails.

The merlin is an aggressive predator; as an aerial forager, it relies on agility and speed for its hunts. When in pursuit of a meal, merlins will often fly very low to the ground and use their surroundings to take their prey by surprise. They are also apt to capture prey midair. Its diet consists of smaller birds, such as sandpipers and the meadow pipit, as well as other small mammals and large insects.

Merlins are resourceful creatures; instead of building their own nests, they roost in old nests of other birds, like ...