Mr. W. C. Tait on the Birds of Portugal. 83 



are not singular — although, as a rule, the country people of 

 Portugal have a very fair acquaintance with the commoner 

 birds, and can distinguish them by popular names. Many 

 of these are onomatopoaic [i. e. derive their origin from the 

 notes uttered by the birds), such as " Pim-pim'^ (Chaffinch, 

 neighbourhood of Oporto) . Many bear traces of Latin origin 

 — ''Arvella" (Wagtail, Aveiro) : some are almost identical 

 with the Latin — " Merula " (Blackbird, province of Algarve), 

 "Tordo" (Thrush, all over Portugal). Some are possibly 

 from the Moorish, as "Boita" (Fan-tailed Warbler, Aveiro), 

 " Bou-fesito " at Tangiers (see Col. Irby's ' Ornithology of 

 the Straits of Gibraltar^), '^Bibes" (Lapwing, Algarve and 

 Alemtejo), " Beebet'^ at Casa Blancaon the coast of Morocco. 

 Some are taken from a distinguishing mark, as the crest- 

 plume of the Lapwing ('^ Gallispo,'^ near Oporto : Latin Gallus, 

 a cock). Others are from their habits, " Pica-pau,'' lit. " the 

 Woodpecker'^; or from their favourite food, "Papa-amoras," 

 the Whitethroat, lit. " blackberry-eater/' Others may 

 puzzle philologists to trace their origin. One can understand 

 why the largest species of Woodpecker is called '' real," or 

 royal, but why is the smallest called. " gallego '' ? This 

 same diminutive is given to other species, such as Jack 

 Snipe " Narceja gallega,"' the Short-toed Lark '^ Calhandra 

 gallega,'' the Little Bittern " Touro gallego, ""^ &c. Galicia 

 is one of the northern provinces of Spain, from which 

 come many servants and porters to earn their living in 

 Portugal, and are a very useful and industrious class. Being 

 hewers of wood and drawers of water, the Portuguese have 

 acquired the habit of looking down on them, and "^ gallego '' 

 is here a term of inferiority. It may have been in this 

 sense applied to the smaller species when there is more than 

 one nearly allied. Where a bird is of specially bright 

 plumage it is sometimes called " Francez " (French) or " Da 

 India '* (from India) . The peasants may have learned to con- 

 nect high ornamentation with those two countries, with which 

 Portugal has had commerce for many centuries. 



I must apologize for many shortcomings in this list. My 

 leisure has been very limited ; there are here no specimens 



g2 



