i6o LITTLE owl; Clafs II. 



approach our dwellings •, and Vv^ill frequently enter 

 pigeon houfes, and make great havoke in them. 

 Thefe breed in hollow trees, or ruined edifices ; lay 

 four eggs of an elliptic form, and of a whitifh color, 



VL The L I T T L E O W L. 



La Cheveche, Belonav. 140, La petite Chouette, ou la Cheve? 

 Noftua. Gefner a^. 620. che. Brijfon a'v.h. z^\/\.. 



Little Owl. /',?'z7. or». 105. Strix pafleiina. Lin.fyft. 133. 



Rait fyn. am. 26. La Civetta. Olina 65. 



Ed<tv. 228. Krak-Ugle. Brunnich 20. 



Tfchiavitl. Kram. 324. Br. ZooU 73. plate B. 5. 

 Faun, Suec. 79. 



TFIIS elegant fpecies Is very rare in Ejighnd-, 

 it is fometimes found in Torkjhire, Flintjhire^ 

 and alfo near London : in fize it fcarcely exceeds a 

 ^^'^^' thruQi, though tiie fullnefs of its plumage makes it 

 appear larger: the irides are of a light yellow : the 

 bill of a paler color : the feathers that encircle the 

 face are white, tipt with black : the head brown 

 fpotted \yith white : the back, and coverts of the 

 ■wings are of a deep olive brown ; the latter fpotted 

 with white : pn the breafl is a mixture of white and 

 brown : the belly is white, marked with a few brown 

 fpots : the tail is of the fame color with the back : in 

 one fubje6t we faw, each feather was barred v/ith 

 ■white : in another, each was adorned with circular 

 v.'hite fpots, placed oppofite one another on both fides 

 the (haft : the legs and feet are coyered with feathers 

 down to the claws. 



The Italians made ufe of this owl to decoy fmall 

 birds to the limed twig : the me thod of which is 

 exhibited in Olind's uccelHsra, p. 6c^, 



