STRIGIDE—OWLS. 145 
the general plumage soft ; the wings dark, with reddish-brown 
spots ; feathers of the breast brick-red, with a dark indented 
longitudinal stripe; wing and tail-quills still short, blackish 
with roundish red spots; feet reddish-brown ” (Newton). 
Distribution: Resident over most of the Palearctic region : 
a scarce visitor to Great Britain. 
Habitat: Forests, deep ravines or old buildings. Nocturnal. 
Genus GLAUCIDIUM. 
PIGMY OWL. 
Glaucidium passerinum (Lizz). 
Adult: Adove umber-brown, tinged with grey and spotted 
with fulvous ; crown and wings copiously spotted and tail barred 
with white ; face whitish, barred or mottled with dark brown; 
sides of throat and chest marked with brown ; centre of throat 
white ; rest of under parts white, the flanks streaked with brown; 
bill and irides yellow; feet closely feathered ; claws blackish. 
Length 6:25 to 6°75 inches; culmen 0°4; wing 4; tail 2°25 to 
2°75 ; tarsus o's. 
Immature Birds: Generally browner than adults, under 
parts more boldly striped, whilst the upper parts are less spot- 
ted, and duller. 
Distribution: Resident in Central and North-eastern 
Europe, and Northern Asia. 
Habitat: Forest regions. Nocturnal. 
Genus ATHENE. 
LITTLE OWL. X 
Athene noctua (Sco). 
Adult: Above greyish-brown, inclining to rufous on tail, 
and spotted profusely with white, the crown spots smaller than 
the rest ; back of neck closely mottled with white, forming a 
sort of white collar; tail barred with yellowish-white ; cheeks 
whitish, streaked with dusky ; uuder parts white ; chin un- 
L 
