Mr. W. C. Tait on the Birds of Portugal. 187 



catching the flies close to their nostrils and feet. The young 

 are commoner than the adult forms. 



Between the departure of M. flava and the arrival of 

 M. rail there is an interval. Mr. Howard Saunders remarks^ 

 in his List, that this species is abundant on passage in Spain, 

 and jiarticularly so in the spring at Valencia and Malaga. 

 This would seem to confirm my supposition that this and 

 some other species follow a south-west course in autumn 

 by the coast of Portugal, returning northwards in sjaring 

 along the east coast of Spain. On only one occasion have I 

 seen M. rail on the coast of Portugal in spring, and that was 

 on May 6th, 1879. 



The names " Boieira,^' " Lavandisca," and " Alveloa " are 

 applied to all the Wagtails. 



60. Anthus pratensis (Linn.). " Sombria," '^ Cia,^' 

 Oporto; " Petinha,^^ Coimbra Museum. 



The first arrivals from the north generally appear near 

 Oporto about the lOtli of October, but I have seen them as 

 early as the 4th of that month, by the end of wliich they are 

 already very abundant, continuing so during the winter. In 

 March they take their departure, a straggler or two remain- 

 ing till April. While on migration they travel in small 

 flocks, or two or three together, a favourite time being 

 when the east wind is blowing on a raw October morning, 

 no which occasion flocks of Sky Larks are also so abundant 

 that these migrants form an almost continuous stream along 

 the coast. 



61. Anthus trivialis (Linn.). " Sombria,'^ '' Cia ■" 

 Oporto. 



The Tree Pipit arrives in the neighbourhood of Oporto 

 earlier than the former, viz. about the 21st of August, 

 and by the beginning of September it is very abundant. 

 Small flocks pass during the prevalence of east wind, at the 

 same time as the Turtle Doves, piping their sibilant note and 

 frequently settling in the pine-trees. In the beginning of 

 October they begin to get scarcer, and by the middle of the 



