ATHENE NOCTUA. 151 



ATHENE NOCTUA (Retzius). 

 LITTLE OWL. 

 § 471. ^^0.— From M. Lefevre's Collection, 1846. 

 § 472. Two—Fvom M. Hardy's Collection, 1848. 



^ 473. 0«^.— London (laid in captivity), 1852. From Mr. J. 

 Green's Collection. 



This is one of two eggs laid by one of the Little Owls which Mr. 

 Green had in confinement for a few days. An egg had been laid 

 before he got the birds ; and therefore he put a box in the cage, in 

 which they laid two eggs, one yesterday, the other the day before. I 

 saw the birds several days ago, but now there is only one left, Mr. 

 Green having just sent off (May 13th) the other two to a customer. 

 They came in the Ostend boat. The species is the same as that taken 

 near Derby, which 1 kept so long in confinement, and which is noAV 

 stuffed at Beeston. This egg I saw blown by Mr. Green's son while 

 I was in the house. Both eggs were precisely similar. 



[In the ' Zoologist' for 1848 (p. 2141), Mr. WoUey records the recent death, 

 by an accident, of the Little Owl above alluded to, which he had so long in 

 captivity. Mr. Hewitson, on the authority of Mr. J. J. Briggs, mentions its 

 original capture ('Eggs B. B./ p. 40), which appears to have been in the 

 spring of 1843; and thus the bird lived just about five years in couiinement. 

 Mr. WoUey always suspected that it was one of the Italian specimens im- 

 ported into this country and liberated in 1842 by Mr. Waterton (' Essays,' 

 2nd ser. p. 21).] 



§ 474. One. — Reithoven, North Brabant, 13 May, 1857. 

 " With bird." From Mr. J. Baker's Collection. 



This is one of four eggs from a nest on which the bird was caught, 

 says Mr. Baker. He only met with this species in Holland. He 

 says it often builds in holes close to houses, laying generally four 

 eggs, never less than three. He took several nests himself, of which 

 I think he said this was one, 



[Mr. W. Bridger has some notes on the breeding-habits of the Little Owl 

 in this district (' Natm-alist,' 1^55, pp. 271, 272).] 



