Mr. W. C. Tait on the Birds of Portugal. 183 



from skins obtained by Col. Irby in the soutli of Spain. 

 Drs. Bocage and Carvalho had remarked that this bird did 

 not agree with the description of A. caudata given by Lin- 

 naeus. It has bred in a " coral ^' tree in my garden, and its 

 habits seem to be the same as those of the northern form, 

 A. rosea, found in the British Islands. 



47. Parus major, Linn. " Cedovem,'^ " Pinta caldeira," 

 " rradisco," " Ferreiro,'"'' Oporto ; " Megengro,^' Melres and 

 Caldas d'Aregos ; " Patachim,^'' " Parachim,^^ Douro ; " Papa- 

 abelhas,^' " Chincharavelha,'"' Peuafiel ; *^ Passaro do linho,"* 

 " Semeia linho,^'' Estarreja ; '' Cachapim,^^ Beja ; " Chinchi- 

 nim,^' Sta. Clara a Velha; " Caldeirinha/^ Quarteira, Algarve; 

 " Ferreirinho,''^ Redondella, Galicia, Spain. 



Resident and abundant. This species begins to sing its 

 peculiar note in February, and, according to the country 

 people, seems to say " Semeia linho, semeia linho " (i. e., 

 '^ Sow flax, sow flax,'^ indicating that the time has come for 

 that seed) . They believe that when the bird sings much it 

 is a sign of an abundant harvest, and that it also says *' Tudo- 

 bem, tudo-bem'^ {i. e., '' KW's, well, all^s welP'). 



I have seen this bird tearing open with its bill the nests of 

 the procession-caterpillar {Cnethocampa pityocampa) in the 

 pine-ti^ees and eating the larvoe. It is the only species Avhich 

 I have observed eating these caterpillars ; other birds only 

 take the web to build their nests with. The hairs of Cnetho- 

 campa are well known to be highly irritant to the human 

 skin, and P. major must therefore have a strong throat, giz- 

 zard, and stomach. 



48. Parus ater, Linn. 



Kesident and common in the pine- woods at the mouth of 

 the Douro. Dr. Carvalho informs me that this species is 

 rare in the neighbourhood of Coimbra, and Col. Irby did not 

 meet with it near Gibraltar. I have known it to nest in a 

 hole in a wall in my garden ; but we are probably not far 

 from the southern limit of its distribution. 



49. Parus CiERULEUs, Linn. ''Cedovempequeno,'^ Oporto; 



