Mr. W. C. Tait Ofi the Birds of Portugal. 381 



number disappear. Their migration is by preference carried 

 on during the prevalence of easterly winds^ as in the case of 

 the Turtle Doves; but Quails travel by night, pi'eferring 

 clear moonlight for their flitting. Going out one autumn 

 with my gun in the early morning before sunrise, and while 

 the moon was still shining, I saw a small flock of Quails pass 

 from north to south. 



There appear to be several races of Quails in this country. 

 The largest is that which breeds in the corn-fields. It is 

 light-coloured, lives in the midst of abundance, and is so fat 

 in August that it sometimes appears scarcely able to fly, 

 making an easy mark for the gun and a delicate morsel for 

 the table. This disappears as the winter comes on, and 

 its place is taken by a darker race, smaller and more active 

 on the wing, called " Codorniz d^arribacjao,'^ or migra- 

 tory Quail. I am told that in the rushes at Ovar a small 

 dark Quail is found, while at Alvito, in the Alemtejo, there 

 is a small light- coloured Quail, which goes by the local name 

 of " Codorniz creola," or the " Creole Quail," said to fre- 

 quent the moors and to feed on the berries of the spurge 

 laurel {Dap/me gnidium). At some future time I hope to 

 be able to collect further information about these interesting 

 races, and, if possible, to obtain measurements. 



200. TuRNix SYLVATICA (Dcsf.). " Toirao do matto," 

 Coimbra Museum. 



I have seen specimens of the Andalucian Hemipode ob- 

 tained at Esmoriz and Ovar, where, however, they are rather 

 rare. They are said to be not uncommon in the Hibatejo. 

 This is a bird of the south of Portugal. 



201, Rallus aquaticus, Linn. ''^Pinta d'agoa,''^ Oporto; 

 '' Frango d^agoa,'' " Fura matto,""" Coimbra Museum. 



I have seen the Water Rail in the neighbourhood of Oporto 

 from the beginning of November to the beginning of April, 

 after which it disappeared from a small marsh where I used 

 to put it up occasionally. The species is common in winter 

 at Ovar, and I believe that many arrive in Portugal on 

 passage. In the autumn of 1884 I was shown a Water Rail 



