44 THE LITTLE OWL 



stations. This gentleman has always been known to be 

 a lover and a protector of this species-. 



In Leadenhall Market there are often cages full of them 

 which have been brought over from Holland. They 

 make delightful house pets and good mousers indoors. 

 " I have one of my own," says A Son of the Marshes, 

 " and I set him down as a bird of priceless value, for he 

 has the power to make me laugh when I should be least 

 in the mood for it .... Jan Steen and Teniers intro- 

 duced him into their pictures. In that of ' The Jealous 

 Wife,' for instance, there is the Little Owl perched on 

 the window shutter contemplating an aged man holding 

 sweet converse with a young woman, presumably his 

 niece. The old woman, his wife, has also her head in 

 the opening, taking in the scene wrathfully. My own 

 bird is at liberty. This he uses to the best of his ability, 

 making the third member of our small household." 



The Little Owl is about eight inches long, but seems 

 bigger than it is because of its large head and soft 

 plumage : its body is compressed in form. Bill and 

 iris are yellow, legs clad with hair-like feathers, toes 

 almost bare. The short tail is hardly visible beneath the 

 points of the wings. The back is greyish-brow^n, spotted 

 with white; the belly whitish, with long brown markings. 



