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



I have seen Pied Wagtails lately arrived attacked and 

 pursued by the resident White Wagtails^ which looked upon 

 them as intruders. It would be interesting to tabulate the 

 distribution of the Pied and White Wagtails. Here, in 

 winter, one sees so many intermediate forms that, allowing 

 for young and females, it is in come cases impossible to 

 determine with confidence to which species the bird may 

 belong. The Pied Wagtail is fond of frequenting roads and 

 following cattle. 



57. MoTACiLLAMELANOPE (Pall.). ^' Lavaudisca amarclla/' 

 " Lavandisca da India/' Oporto ; " Boieira d'agoa," Penafiel. 



Common and resident, but migratory to some extent. It 

 is commoner in winter in the gardens near Oporto than in 

 summer from October forward. Sings and courts in October, 

 November, and December, continuing to sing in February 

 and March ; changes to summer plumage at the end of 

 February ; nests in walls at the sides of streams, and goes 

 about in pairs. 



58. MoTACiLLA FLAVA (Liuu.) . " Lavaudisca amarella,'' 

 Oporto ; " Boieira amarella,^' " Arvella,^' Aveiro. 



Abundant. Arrives from the south at the end of March, or 

 more frequently in the middle of April ; breeds in the dry 

 rush-beds or on the ground near marshy fields, and departs 

 at the end of August. Dr. Carvalho informs me that at 

 Coimbra it generally moves at that time to fields on higher 

 ground. I once found quite a colony breeding in a field 

 near a marsh ; nearly every clump of rushes contained a nest. 

 The birds are bold, and so long as one takes little notice of 

 them they will come pretty close, but if approached they will 

 soon fly off and keep at a distance. Their note is shrill and 

 piercing. 



59. MoTACiLL4. RAii (Bp.). '' Boicira.^' 



Arrives in Portugal on passage in the middle of September, 

 and is met with till the end of October; during its journey 

 it is common in the fields near the sea-coast in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Oporto. It follows the bullocks while grazing, 



