Mr. W. C. Tait on the Birds of Portugal. 307 



mouth of the Douro, at the time of the passage of the Turtle 

 Doves. It has surprised me to find the Cuckoo on the top 

 of some of the serras ; for instance^ one on the north side 

 of the Caklas do Gerez. I have noticed that when the 

 Cuckoo utters its note flying, it expands its breast after the 

 manner of a Pouter Pigeon, and it is comical to see the 

 curious antics and gesticulations employed by the male 

 Cuckoo to court the female, with much bowing and tui'ning 

 from side to side, and spreading of the tail like a fan. 



At Caldas do Gerez I was told that a young Cuckoo met 

 its death in a curious manner. So voracious was it that it 

 seized the head of its foster-mother^ a Stonechat, and tried 

 to swallow it : with the result that both the young Cuckoo 

 and the Stonechat were choked. 



125. CoccYSTEs GLAND ARius (Liuu.). '^ Cuco rabilougo," 

 Coimbra Museum. 



The Great Spotted Cuckoo is scarce in the neighbourhood 

 of Oporto. On May 23rd, 1880, two of these bii'ds flew close 

 over my head near Le9a de Palmeira creek, and specimens 

 have been obtained at Ovar and near Oporto. It appears to 

 prefer the neighbourhood of marshy ground. 



126. Strix flammea, Linn. " Coruja," Portugal and 

 Galicia. 



The Barn Owl is resident and generally distributed. It 

 nests in the ruins of the Serra do Pilar convent and the old 

 powder magazine of the Afurada, both near Oporto, and 

 frequents the belfry towers of the country churches. 



127. Asio OTUS (Linn.). '^Mocho.'' 



The Long-eared Owl, obtained by myself and others near 

 Oporto, were all found in the winter, and I cannot say whether 

 this species remains here for the summer. 



128. Asio accipitrinus (Pall.). " Mocho,'' '' Coruja do 

 nabal.^' 



The Short-eared Owl is common on the drier flat srround 

 of the extensive marshes near Ovar, Estarreja, Aveiro, &c. 

 I have often put them up while snipe-shooting and do not let 



