There are seeiiiiiiuly hd (lilVcreiu-cs nt' ]tliiiiiii^e ile]>('ii(liML,^ nii st-x, a^e, or 

 season. 



In callin*; tliis species drnroi'rtf.r nillfurniinitis w** do not Iccl entirely sure 

 that we liave sekrted the earliest name, llarllaul* and ntlier autlini> «rive 

 1S2*J as the date of Lessons \'ol. VI, of <;onii.l«'iuL'nt to HiiHon ;\I. 4l'(0. 

 A copy of this volume in tlie Library of ('(»n_ure>s hears datt- of IS.U upon 

 the titlepaue. It is, however, ([Uoicd at tlie dalo of 1S2!> hy Kuu* Ininnn. 

 so that the eopv referred to ahove nia\ ]>ossii>lv ho a sfcdn*! edition, <»r with 

 Ji new p(»st-«lated titlepaue. In this uncertainty, however, wt' jireter to 

 retain the name of vnlifni-nniiitis,. 



Dotta, in his description of tlie l)ird (the original ol Les-;on's speci(\s), 

 speaks of it as occurring from ('-qje St. Lucas to San Francisco. Specimens 

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

 ri)]>er California, but (ttherwise apparently identical. 



ILviMTS. This very remarkalde l»ird, variously named, in Me.xico. Texas, 

 and California, the Laisano, the Load-lJunner, the Clujparral Cock, the (iround 

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

 and interesting of the recent additions to our ornitboloMical li.^ts. It is found 

 throughout Northern Mexico, Texas as far north as Fort Ciiadl>ounie. and in 

 California as far as Fort Keading. It' is also abundant in ]Miitioiis of Arizona 

 and New Mexico, and is su])i)osed to be resident in all these districts. It 

 is descril)ed as very remarkable for great swiftness of foot, in which it 

 appears to be eciualled by no other North American bird. In Mexico, and 

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

 as a matter of anmsement, on horseback, and to pursut* them with hounds, 

 — a test of their lleetness in which tliey 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 grotesipie 

 position.s. While thus more or less terrestrial in its haltits,and sharing with 

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

 them, but ranks in a verv dilferent ornitholonical division, being classed with 

 the Cuckoos. 



This bird was first brouuht to the attention of American naturalists bv 

 Dr. William (Jambel, who published a descri]>tion of it in 184-"). Two years 

 afterwards Colonel ^fcCall published the first satisfactory account that has 

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

 bird is zygodact\le, with toes disposed in opposite pairs, yet that the reversi- 

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

 movements on the ground. 



The f(wd of the ( Jround 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 gr(»und or a branch, and car- 

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



VOL. n. GO 



