74 BRITISH BIRDS, WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 
Family—STRIGIDA:. 
LITTLE OWL. 
Athene noctua, Scop. 
HIS favourite inhabitant of our aviaries, on account of its amusing gestures, 
is largely imported from various parts of the Continent, so that it is 
impossible to say how many of the appearances at large in this country that have 
been recorded may not have been due to escapes. Still, as it is abundant so 
near to us as in Holland, there would be nothing remarkable in its occasionally 
crossing the water, and paying us a visit, and nearly every county in England 
has produced an example. One, known to the writer, was shot at Clevedon, in 
Somerset, while it was flying about, in the day time, mobbed by Sparrows. A 
great many Little Owls have been turned loose from time to time, and some 
have actually nested and reared young in a wild state, but this small Owl cannot 
be said to be yet acclimatized in this country. No doubt, many of the Little 
Owls that have been shot at large, of late years, have been provided by these 
turned out birds, that have spread themselves abroad throughout adjoining 
counties. Only quite recently the writer heard of two that had been shot when 
sitting side by side on the branch of a tree in a cover not far from Bath. 
The Little Owl is somewhat smaller than Tengmalm’s Owl, from which it 
also differs in general appearance, as well as in its distribution and habits. It 
is not so loosely feathered, nor has it such a profusion of downy feathers about 
its legs and feet; on the contrary, its toes are only partially covered with bristles 
instead of feathers. It is a dweller chiefly in the south, where it prefers in- 
habited districts, while Tengmalm’s Owl is a northern bird that avoids the haunts 
of men in mountain forests. Nor is the Little Owl so boldly mottled in its 
plumage. 
The Little Owl ranges throughout the whole of the central and southern 
countries of Europe, being replaced on the African side of the Mediterranean by 
a paler sub-species, d¢hene meridionalis. During the day it secludes itself in 
gardens and thickets, or among buildings, being fond of the sheds around farm 
yards; it also frequents churches, old towers and ruins. But it is partly diurnal, 
for Lord Lilford says it delights in the sun, and is often active during the hours 
