92 
Allen’s naturalist’s library. 
ment. Fifty years ago Waterton set some specimens free in 
Yorkshire, and this experiment has been since tried by several 
naturalists, notably Mr. St. Quintin in Yorkshire, Lord Lil- 
ford in Northamptonshire, and Mr. Meade-Waldo in Hamp- 
shire. 
Range outside the British Islands. — Europe generally, but only an 
occasional visitant to Scandinavia. In South-eastern Europe 
the colour is decidedly paler and a rufous race, Carine glaux, 
which is found in Egypt and Palestine, extends to Persia. 
Thence a race, with thickly-feathered toes, C. bactriana, takes 
its place in Central Asia, and ranges into Northern China. 
Hahits. — The Little Owl is as much diurnal as nocturnal in 
its habits, and feeds upon mice, small birds, and all kinds of 
insects, grasshoppers, moths, beetles, &c. I can cordially re- 
commend this bird as a tame and amusing pet, and one which 
will speedily clear a kitchen of hlack-lieetles. Two tame 
Owls of this species were most useful in this respect, as, un- 
fortunately, in the suburb of London in which I resided some 
ten years ago, black-beetles were a very disagreeable reality. 
Hedgehogs in the kitchen at night were undoubtedly useful, 
but the best sport was obtained with my Little Owls, of which 
I had a pair. Every night the gas was turned low, and the 
Owls sat on our hands like trained Hawks. Their bright little 
eyes were turned in every direction, and the advent of a beetle 
was announced by a vigorous “ bobbing ” of their heads. 
Before I could see the noxious insect, the Owls would leave 
their perch on my hand and noiselessly glide down and cap- 
ture the unsuspecting horror. Then they would stand over it, 
with one wing spread out, as if to protect the savoury morsel 
from the vulgar world, which knows not the delicacy of a black- 
beetle. Then grasping it in their toes, holding it like a Parrot, 
as if with a hand, they would munch it up contentedly, till not 
even an antenna was left to mark the [)lace of .slaughter. How 
many beetles one of these Owls would kill in an evening would 
be difficult to say. I used to leave them on the gas-bracket to 
worK out their role of extermination, but the mess that they 
made during the night ended in a “ revolt of the daughter,” 
backed up by the servants, and they had once more to be 
banished to their cage in the garden. 
