1024 



Leicestershire 30 specimens were shot in 1919, while on an 

 Essex estate 24 young birds were hatched in 1920. 



Rate of Increase. — Keliable information as to the rate of 

 increase of the Little Owl in different districts has proved 

 somewhat difficult to obtain. Many of the statements are 

 obviously only surmises and not based on actual observation. 

 In a few instances, however, the actual nests have been 

 counted. Many correspondents remark that the full brood of 

 4, 5, or 6 are all reared, and that the young birds are peculiarly 

 alert. 



Assuming then that a pair of birds annually produce four 

 young, half of each sex, and that all live, together with their 

 offspring, in six years the progeny of a single pair would be 

 1,458 (cf. Table)." 



Table L — Showing the annual increase and total number of 

 Little Owls, the progeny of a single pair, in successive 

 seasons for six years, assuming that all lived. 





Number of 



Number of 



Total 



Total 



Years. 



pairs 



pairs of 



number 



number 





breeding. 



young. 



of pairs. 



of birds. 



1st 



1 



2 



3 



6 



2nd 



3 



6 



9 



18 



3rd 



9 



18 



27 



54 



4th 



27 



54 



81 



... 162 



5th 



81 



... 162 



.. 243 



... 486 



6th 



... 243 



••• 486 



.. 729 



... 1458 



On a rough computation of this kind, it is clearly evident 

 that we must have in this country at the present time quite a 

 large number of individuals. Supposing, however, that we 

 put the number in the sixth year at a sixth of 1,458,, i.e., 243, 

 and assume that in 30 English counties there are in each 10 pairs 

 of birds to begin with, then we have a total of 72,900 in the 

 sixth year. 



The natural checks to increase in this case are few. All the 

 specimens that I have examined have been particularly well 

 nourished, free from disease, and remarkably free from ecto- 

 or endoparasites. The Little Owl would seem to be a par- 

 ticularly hardy and healthy bird, and very accommodating in 

 its diet. 



In the autumn there accumulates immediately beneath the 

 skin, especially on the back and on the under side of the 

 abdominal region, a thick layer of fat, which undoubtedly 

 serves as a reserve food store. Moreover, of the 194 specimens 

 examined, in only two have the stomachs been entirely empty. 



Birds kept in captivity for 8 and 9 days and only supplied 



