126 CUCKOW’S-LEADER—CURASSOW 
is found the curious form, Geococcyz (CHAPPARAL-COCK). The genera 
Neomorphus, Diplopterus, Saurothera, and Piaya (the last two com- 
monly called Rain-birds, from the belief that their ery portends 
rain) may be noticed—all of them belonging to the Neotropical 
Region ; but perhaps the most curious form of American Cuckows 
is Crotophaga (ANI), of which three species inhabit the same Region. 
The best-known species (C. ani) is found throughout the Antilles 
and on the opposite continent. In most of the British colonies it 
is known as the Black Witch, and is accused of various malpractices 
—it being, in truth, a perfectly harmless if not a beneficial bird. 
As regards its, propagation this aberrant form of Cuckow departs as 
much in one direction from the normal habit of birds as do so many 
of our familiar friends of the Old World in the other, for several 
females unite to lay their eggs in one nest. Full details of its 
economy are wanting, but it is evident that incubation is carried on 
socially, since an intruder on approaching the rude nest will disturb 
perhaps half a dozen of its sable proprietors, who, loudly complain- 
ing, seek safety either in the leafy branches of the tree that holds 
it, or in the nearest available covert, with all the speed that their 
feeble powers of flight permit. 
CUCKOW’S-LEADER and CUCKOW’S-MATE, common 
names for the WRYNECK. 
CURASSOW,}! the ordinary corruption of Curacoa-bird, as the 
name was spelt in 1756 by Browne (Civ. and Nat. Hist. Jamaica, 
p. 470), and doubtless due to the belief that the birds of this kind 
first known to English voyagers came from the island so called. 
They form the Linnean genus Cra, and the Family Cracidx, which 
is held by Messrs. Sclater and Salvin (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, pp. 
504-544) to include three subfamilies—Cracine the Curassows proper, 
Penelopine (GUAN), and Oreophasine—the last consisting of but a 
single species, the beautiful Oreophasis derbianus of the Volcan de 
Fuego in Guatemala, of whose haunts and habits Mr. Salvin has 
given an excellent account (Ibis, 1860, pp. 248-253). Prof. Huxley 
has shewn (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1868, pp. 294-319) that the Cracidx 
with the Megapodiide (MEGAPODE) form a distinct group of 
ALECTOROMORPH or GALLINA, to which he applied the name 
Peristeropodes, and thereon based some views of GEOGRAPHICAL 
1 Dampier, a good authority on many things but not on orthography, in 1699 
and 1703, used Corresso and Curreso (Voy. ii. pt. 2, p. 67, and iii. pt. 1, p. 74) ; 
Albin in 1738 wrote (NV. H. Birds, ii. p. 29) of birds of this kind (he having 
figured both male and female), ‘‘ They are generally brought from Carassow, from 
whence they take their name.” Sloane in 1707 (Voy. p. 802) used Quirizao for 
both island and bird; and Linneus in 1758 (Syst. Nat. ed. 10, i. p. 157) used 
Gallus curassivicus, which he professedly got from Aldrovandus, in whose work, 
. however, I have failed to find it. He figures a species of Crax as Gallus Indicus 
lib. xiv. cap. 10). 
