Rev. A. C. Smith un the Birds of Portugal. 429 



birds of Portugal, inasmuch as I have a profound respect for the 

 erudition of that sacred fowl, had it not been that, with the 

 exception of a catalogue in Portuguese, published in Lisbon by 

 Professor Barboza du Bocage in 1862* (of which I shall make 

 considerable use in this paper), and a few short notes by Mr. 

 G. F. Mathews, which appeared in the 'Naturalist' for 1864t : 

 1 am not aware that anything has been made known of the 

 ornithology of that south-western corner of Europe. 



It is absolutely necessary that I begin my story by making a 

 few preliminary remarks on the principal geographical features 

 and general appearance of the country, not only because such 

 tei'ritorial conditions aflfect in the greatest degree the fauna of 

 every district, but also because it is very generally supposed, 

 though quite erroneously, that Portugal is naturally and to all 

 practical intents and purposes a portion of Spain ; and therefoi'e 

 it is concluded that the general aspect of the country, her geolo- 

 gical features, her fauna and flora must be identical with those 

 of her great neighbour. Now this is altogether a mistaken con- 

 clusion, arising doubtless from a recollection of the relative 

 positions of Spain and Portugal on the map, where I allow 

 that they do appear obviously united ; but no sooner does the 

 traveller cross the boundary which divides the kingdoms, than 

 he becomes sensible how great is the divergence between the 

 two countries, and that not only in their natural aspects, but 

 even in the appearance, customs, language, and even religious 

 opinions of their respective inhabitants. Thus, instead of the 

 Cordilleras of Spain, those huge chains of mountains which 

 divide and subdivide that country into broad belts, we have 

 elevated ground, indeed, in Portugal, but, with the exception of 

 the Estrellas in the centre, and the Gerez in the extreme north, 

 the hills seldom rise so high as to take the rank of mountains. 

 Neither are there in Portugal any Sierras, or abrupt, serrated, 

 or hog-backed ranges, for which Spain is so famous, and which 

 frequently rise to so great a height, and present vast ridges of 



* " Instrucfoes praticas sobre o modo tie colligir, prcparav e remetter 

 procliictos Zoologicos para o Museu de Lisboa. Por J. V. Barboza du 

 Bocage. Lisboa : 1802." (Qf. Ibis, 1803, p. 227.) 



t Naturalist, 18(34, pp. 49-51, 69-71 .and 88-90. ( Cf. Ibis, 18Go, p. :1.33.) 



2g2 



