crcriJD.K — TiiK crcKoos. 



47;! 



Tlit'iv iirc scciuiiijily iiu dilloruiici's dl' pluiiiiij^e iU'IilmkUh^ mi sex, n<^v, or 

 season. 



Ill calling tliis speck's (I'tunirri/.f ni/ifuriilmiiis we ild not Iccl fiiliicly sure 

 that \vu have sek'cteil the earliest name. Ilaillauli and utiier authnis mve 

 liSU'J as the date uf L.'.s.sun's \'(j1. \'1, oI' cdiiiiilenient to I'.iitloii ;\'I,4l.'0). 

 A coi)y of this volume in the Library of ('on;.,'ress iiears datr of IS.'!! ii|")ii 

 the titlfepa,ue. It is, however, (pioled at the ilate of ISl",) liy iMiucimanii, 

 so that the copy reh'iTed to al)ove may possiiily he a .second eilitioii, or \\itli 

 a new ])ost-dated tith'pai^e. In this uiicertaiiity, however, we prefer to 

 retain the name of fdli/drinnnnx. 



liotta, ill his description of tlio bird (the orij^iiial of Lesson's species), 

 speal i of it as occurring from Cajjc St. Lucas to San Francisco. S|)ecimciis 

 from Cape St, Lucas, Inouglit by Mr. Xantus, are .smaller tliaii tho.se of 

 I'ljjier California, but olherwi.se apparently identical. 



Habits. This very remurkable l)ird, variously iianied, in Mexico, Texas, 

 and California, tiie I'ai.sano, the lioad-Kuniier, tlie Ciuijiarral Cock, the (imuud 

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

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

 throughout Northern Alexico, Texas as lar norlli as Fort CiiaiUiournc, and in 

 California a.s i'ar as Fort Heading. It is also abundant in iiortioiis of Arizona 

 and Now M \xico, and is Hupi)o.scd to be resident in all tlic.sc disti'icts. It 

 is described as very remarkable ku" great swiftness of i'ool, in wliicli it 

 appears to be e(iualled by no other North American bird. In Mexico, and 

 in some parts of the Tiiited States, it is not unusual to hunt tiie.-e birds, 

 as a matter of amusement, on horseliack, and to ])ursue tlieiu witli liounds, 

 — a test of their lleetne.ss in which they are said to often make a huiger race 

 than their ]airsuers anticijiated. 



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

 long tail is borne in an erect ])osition, and often assumes a variety of grotcsipie 

 positions. While thus more or less terrestrial in its hal>its,niid .sharing with 

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

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

 the Cuckoos. 



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

 Dr. William (Jambel, wlio published a descri])tioii of it in 1840. Two years 

 afterwards Cohuiel ^fcCall published the first satisfactory account that has 

 been given of its habits and niauners of life. He states tliat tliougli this 

 bird is zygodactyle, with toes di.sposed in opposite pairs, yet that the reversi- 

 bility of the outer toe favors its use for climl)iiig or perching, as well as i'or 

 movements on the gnaiiid. 



The food of tlie (Jrouiid Cuckoo consi.sts of coleopterous and almost every 

 other descriiition of insects, iind wliere snails aliound they also are gre(?dily 

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

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



VOL. u. 00 



