LITTLE OWL. 303 



imaginative. Col. Verner, when feeding his captives, was 

 struck by the accuracy with which they caught in either claw 

 rats or other animals which were thrown to them. 



The ear-tufts of the Eagle-Owl are long, and though occa- 

 sionally drooped are less concealed than in other "eared" 

 owls. The upper parts are blackish brown mottled with tawny 

 buff ; the wings and tail are barred. The under parts are 

 paler buff, boldly streaked on the breast, and more finely 

 barred and streaked on the lower breast and abdomen. The 

 bill is blackish horn, the irides orange. The female is the 

 larger bird. Length, 24 to 26 ins. Wing, 18*5 ins. Tarsus, 

 3-2 ins. 



Little Owl. Carme nochia (Scop.). 



The Little Owl (Plate 124) occurs throughout central Europe, 

 and allied races, more or less distinct, are found in southern 

 Europe, Africa and Asia. It is a sedentary species, little 

 given to migration, but there is no doubt that genuine wanderers 

 have reached us from its Continental home, for it breeds 

 regularly in Holland, Denmark and Germany. But as a well- 

 established artificial colonist the Little Owl must be included 

 as truly British, since it now nests throughout southern England 

 and the Midlands. It has been recorded from Scotland and 

 Ireland. 



So long ago as 1843 Waterton released a few Little Owls in 

 Yorkshire, but the attempt to establish them met with small 

 success ; later efforts, however, in Northamptonshire, Cam- 

 bridge, Hertfordshire and Kent have produced results which 

 have caused no small alarm amongst game preservers, for the 

 bird is spreading in all directions ; Lord Lilford has been 

 blamed for his repeated introduction of Dutch birds. Within 

 the last two or three years the Little Owl has reached Cheshire 

 and Lancashire and crossed the Welsh border ; there is no 



