210 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. ix. 



is the following statement : " We have never heard of 

 Woodpeckers nesting in boxes in England as they do in 

 German}'." Still further, a well-knOAvn naturalist Mho has 

 had an extensive experience with nesting-boxes, stated in my 

 presence this year that he had never heard of a W^oodpecker 

 nesting in a box in this country. In view of these statements 

 it would be of interest to know what other records there are 

 of this nature. Willta:\i E. Glegg. 



STATUS OF LITTLE OWL IN WILTSHIRE. 



The tirst record of the Little Owl {Athene n. noctua) in 

 Wiltshire in recent years was of one shot near Avebury, 

 in November, 1907 (Marlborough College Nat. Hist. Report). 

 No more Avere recorded till January 8th, 1910, when a pair 

 was shot on the Hampworth Estate in south-east Wiltshire 

 {Brit. B., III., p. 375). On December 16th, 1911, Dr. H. P. 

 Blackmore wrote that five had been killed during the previous 

 six weeks within eighteen miles of Salisbmy, and about 

 the same time Dr. Hinton wrote that he had seen it 

 near Imber. Four were obtained at TotterdoMii (near 

 Marlborough) during 1911 and 1912 {Marlborough College 

 Nat. Hist. Report). Mr. M. Vaughan saw it at Milton in 

 1913 ; and one of the keepers at Whiteparish saw one or 

 two during that year. During the present year (1915) it 

 has been seen by the keepers at West Woods (near 

 ^larl borough), by the keeper at Lydiard ]\Iillicent on October 

 14th, and Dr. Penrose tells me that he knew personally of 

 three j^airs nesting in the parish of Downton. Dr. Penrose's 

 keeper thinks that it is supplanting the Barn-Owl, as one 

 pair has got possession of a nesting-hole for many years 

 occupied by a pair of these birds ; and I have known of a 

 similar case near Cambridge. 



It will be noticed that all the above records are from the 

 eastern half of the county, and that the bird is more firmly 

 established in south than north ^\'iltshire. It is to be hoped 

 that other notes on the distiibution of this species will be 

 forthcoming. G. Bathurst Hon'y. 



DARK-BREASTED BARN-OWL IN BERKSHIRE. 



On November 21st, 1915, a sjiecimei^ of the Central European 

 Barn-Owl {Flammca flammea guttata, Brit. Oinith. I'nion 

 List, p. 12.S, Tyto alba f/////a/r/, Hand-List of J^iitish Bir.ls, 

 p. 109), was brought to l\oading Museum in the flesh bj'- 

 Mr. Leigh, Avho had obtained it at Cole}- Park Farm, Reading. 

 Though .slightly lighter in colour than the tyj)ical Cleiinan 



