STRIGIDA, 301 
THE LITTLE OWL. 
ATHENE NOcTUA (Scopoli). 
In 1758 Edwards figured a Little Owl caught alive in a 
chimney near the Tower of London, and since that date many 
examples have been obtained in England; but such numbers are 
known to have been imported from the Continent and intentionally 
liberated—to say nothing of those which have escaped from confine- 
ment—that it is impossible to say whether any of our visitors have 
been really wild. In May 1843 Waterton turned out five Little 
Owls near Wakefield, which he had brought from Italy the previous 
year ; subsequently Mr. St. Quentin in Yorkshire, and Mr. Meade- 
Waldo in Hampshire, introduced many others which have bred at 
large, though in gradually diminishing numbers; while in 1888 
the late Lord Lilford established quite a colony in Northampton- 
shire. Cages-full, brought from Holland, may often be seen in 
Leadenhall Market ; and, without disputing the claim of this species 
to a place in the British list, it must be said that in the countries it 
inhabits, it is not much addicted to migration. As yet it has not 
been recorded from Scotland or Ireland. 
Throughout Gatke’s long experience the Little Owl was only once 
obtained on Heligoland. It is of exceptional occurrence in Sweden, 
while in Russia the Baltic Province of Courland marks its northern 
breeding-limit ; but south of lat. 56° it is a generally distributed 
resident in Europe; especially in the countries washed by the 
