CUCULID^ — THE CUCKOOS. 473 



There are seemingly no differences of plumage depending on sex, age, or 

 season. 



In calling this species Gcococcyx californianus we do not feel entirely sure 

 that we have selected the earliest name. Hartlaub and other authors give 

 1829 as the date of Lesson's Vol. VI, of complement to Buffbn (VI, 420). 

 A copy of this volume in the Library of Congress bears date of 1834 upon 

 the titlepage. It is, however, quoted at the date of 1829 by Engelmann, 

 so that the copy referred to above may possibly be a second edition, or with 

 a new post-dated titlepage. In this uncertainty, however, we prefer to 

 retain the name of californianus. 



Botta, in his description of the bird (the original of Lesson's species), 

 speaks of it as occurring from Cape St. Lucas to San Francisco. Specimens 

 from Cape St. Lucas, brought by Mr. Xantns, are smaller than those of 

 Upper California, but otherwise apparently identical. 



Habits. This very remarkable bird, variously named, in Mexico, Texas, 

 and California, the Paisano, the Eoad-Eunner, the Chaparral Cock, the Ground 

 Cuckoo, the Prairie Cock, and the Corre-camino, is one of the most curious 

 and interesting of the recent additions to our ornithological lists. It is found 

 throughout Northern Mexico, Texas as far north as Fort Chadbourne, and in 

 California as far as Fort Heading. It is also abundant in portions of Arizona 

 and New Mexico, and is supposed to be resident in all these districts. It 

 is described as very remarkable for great swiftness of foot, in which it 

 appears to be equalled by no other North American bird. In IMexico, and 

 in some parts of the United States, it is not unusual to hunt these birds, 

 as a matter of amusement, on horseback, and to pursue tliem with hounds, 

 — a test of their fleetness in which they are said to often make a longer race 

 than their pursuers anticipated. 



This bird habitually frequents the ground. When walking or running, its 

 long tail is borne in an erect position, and often assumes a variety of grotesque 

 positions. While thus more or less terrestrial in its habits, and sharing with 

 gallinaceous birds many of their peculiarities, it has no other affinities with 

 them, but ranks in a very different ornithological division, being classed with 

 the Cuckoos. 



This bird was first brought to the attention of American naturalists by 

 Dr. William Gambel, who published a description of it in 1845. Two years 

 afterwards Colonel McCall published the first satisfactory account that has 

 been given of its habits and manners of life. He states that though this 

 bird is zygodactyle, with toes disposed in opposite pairs, yet that the reversi- 

 bility of the outer toe favors its use for climbing or perching, as well as for 

 movements on the ground. 



The food of the Ground Cuckoo consists of coleopterous and almost every 

 other description of insects, and where snails abound they also are greedily 

 eaten. These are usually taken either from the ground or a branch, and car- 

 ried to a particular spot, where the shell is broken and its contents eaten. 



VOL. II. 60 



