  The photon statistics of the light emitted from an atomic ensemble into a
single field mode of an optical cavity is investigated as a function of the
number of atoms. The light is produced in a Raman transition driven by a pump
laser and the cavity vacuum [M.Hennrich et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 4672
(2000)], and a recycling laser is employed to repeat this process continuously.
  For weak driving, a smooth transition from antibunching to bunching is found
for about one intra-cavity atom. Remarkably, the bunching peak develops within
the antibunching dip. For saturated driving and a growing number of atoms, the
bunching amplitude decreases and the bunching duration increases, indicating
the onset of Raman lasing.
