STRIGID.^,. 



THE LITTLE OWL. 



Athene noctua (Scopoli). 



In 1758 Edwards figured a Little Owl caught alive in a 

 chimney near the Tower of London, and since that date many 

 examples have been obtained in England ; but such numbers are 

 known to have been imported from the Continent and intentionally 

 liberated — to say nothing of those which have escaped from confine- 

 ment — that it is impossible to say whether any of our visitors have 

 been really wild. In May 1843 Waterton turned out five Little 

 Owls near Wakefield, which he had brought from Italy the previous 

 year ; subsequently Mr. St. Quentin in Yorkshire, and Mr. Meade- 

 Waldo in Hampshire, introduced many others which have bred at 

 large, though in gradually diminishing numbers ; while in 1888 

 the late Lord Lilford established quite a colony in Northampton- 

 shire. Cages-full, brought from Holland, may often be seen in 

 Leadenhall Market ; and, without disputing the claim of this species 

 to a place in the British list, it must be said that in the countries it 

 inhabits, it is not much addicted to migration. As yet it has not 

 been recorded from Scotland or Ireland. 



Throughout Gatke's long experience the Little Owl was only once 

 obtained on Heligoland. It is of exceptional occurrence in Sweden, 

 while in Russia the Baltic Province of Courland marks its northern 

 breeding-limit ; but south of lat. 56° it is a generally distributed 

 resident in Europe ; especially in the countries washed by the 



