82 BIRD GALLERY. 



(983) are Australian, the former, as its name implies, being the giant of 

 the group. 



The Little Owl {Athene noctua) (984), from Central and Southern 

 Europe, has frequently been captured in England, but so many have 

 been imported from the Continent and liberated that it is difficult to 

 say if the birds are really wild. 



The allied genus of Pigmy Owlets (Glaucidium) contains numerous 

 diminutive forms distributed over most regions of the Globe, and 

 includes the smallest species of Owls, such as the Collared Pigmy Owlet 

 (G. brodiei) (986) from the Himalayas, and the Common Pigmy Owlet 

 (G. passerinwn) (987) of Northern and Central Europe. Of special in- 

 terest is the Burrowing Owl (Speotyto cunicularia) (989) of America, a 

 small long-legged species, which lives in large communities in the burrows 

 of the Prairie-dog and other Mammals, and is mainly diurnal in its habits. 



The genus Nyctala is represented by both its members, Tengmalm's 

 Owl {N. tengmalmi) (999), which inhabits the forests of Northern 

 Europe, Siberia, and Arctic America and occasionally visits Great 

 Britain, and the Saw-whet Owl {N. acadica) (991) from North America 

 and Mexico. 



Next come the Eared-Owls {Asio), including two well-known British 

 species, the Long-eared Owl {A. otus) (993), and the Short-eared, 

 Marsh- or Woodcock-Owl {A. accipitrinus) (994). The former almost 

 always breeds in trees, using deserted nests of crows or squirrels, while 

 the latter invariably makes a nest on the ground. During the vole 

 plague on the Scottish Borders in 1890-92 enormous numbers of Short- 

 eared Owls made their appearance in the infested districts and remained 

 as long as food continued plentiful. 



To the genus Syrnium belong the Tawny, Brown or Wood-Owl 

 (S. aluco) (998) of Great Britain, and a number of other species such as 

 the Mottled and Ural Wood-Owls, S. ocellatum (995) and S. uralense 

 (998), from India and Northern Europe respectively. Of the Tawny 

 Owl both the grey and rufous phases of plumage are represented. 

 Closely allied to these is the Great Grey Owl {Scotiaptex cinerea) (999) , 

 the Arctic American representative of the Lapp Owl. The last member 

 of this family is the Bay Owl {Photodilus badius) (1 999), a peculiar form 

 from the Indo-Malayan region, which occupies an intermediate position 

 between the Bubonidm and Strigidae. 



Family II. Strigid^. Barn-Owls. 



J^Case54.J The Barn- or Screech-Owls (Strix) representing this family are 

 nocturnal in their habits, and, as they feed almost exclusively on small 

 rodents, are extremely useful birds and entitled to protection. They are 



