60 THE LITTLE OWL. 



Habitat. In a wild state this Owl inlmbits old buildings, 

 towers, church walls, and high trees. In such situations its 

 nest may be found. If allowed to be at liberty in a room, no 

 other bird must be suffered to come near, as the owl would 

 kill it. It is best hung before a window in a large kind of 

 Quail's cage, which may be watched from the inside. 



Food. In a wild state it generally feeds on house and field 

 mice, beetles and crickets. I have also found in the undi- 

 gested remains which, like most birds of prey, it disgorges, 

 large quantities of the stones of the fruit of the red cornel 

 tree ( Cornus sanguinea\ which it must therefore eat. When 

 confined, both old and young birds may be kept long in health 

 on dried mutton, from which the skin, bones, and fat, have 

 been removed, and which has been allowed to soak in water 

 two days before giving it. By the use of this food also, the 

 bad smell of the excrements may be avoided. Three quarters 

 of an ounce of this meat a day is enough for the bird, with 

 occasionally mice and small birds, which last it swallows quill 

 feathers and all. It will eat as many as five mice at a meal. 

 Even in summer it becomes lively about 2 P.M., and begins 

 to want its food. 



Breeding. The nest is found in crevices of walls and hollow 

 trees. The female in confinement lays, even without contact 

 with the male, two round white eggs. The young ones may 

 be easily reared on meat, especially pigeon's flesh. Before the 

 first moulting, they are, instead of the usual light brown, of 

 a reddish grey, woolly on the head, and slightly clouded with 

 white. The great white round spots on the back appear more 

 distinct, and the reddish white of the under part of the body 

 has thinner grey stripes on the breast and sides. 



Diseases. If they are not sometimes fed with mice or small 

 birds, the hair and feathers of which clear out their crops, they 

 die of decline. 



Mode of Taking. If the place to which they resort be known, 

 they may easily be caught by putting a sack net before the 

 hole, and intercepting them as they fly out in the twilight. 



Attractive Qualities. They are very clean birds, collecting 

 all their excrement into one place. Their singular gestures 

 are amusing, but the hoarse cry, and restlessness at pairing 

 time, is very disagreeable. 



