[falconry] The word perlin is a falconer`s term for a hybrid between a peregrine falcon and a merlin. It is bigger and faster than a merlin, but does not fly as far as a peregrine, and thus is less likely to fly far away and become lost. Usually the peregrine is the father and the merlin is the mother. ... Found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perlin_(falconry)