cvs -n checkout weird behavior

[Andy Jones]

I thought I could use "cvs -n export" to show a list of files with a certain 
tag.

But I got this instead:

$ cvs -n export -r rel_ta-2-3-2_040204 tapestry/ta |tee ffile
cvs export: in directory tapestry/ta:
cvs [export aborted]: there is no version here; run 'cvs checkout' first

A checkout without -n doesn't do this, which bends the principal of least 
astonishment a bit.
You get the error whether there is or is not a "tapestry/ta" dir below the 
current level.

1) Anybody know what is going on here?

2) Any other, better ways I have stupidly missed to list the files with a given 
tag?