The study of the motor cortex in the full-blown behavioral context of voluntary movement was introduced by Evarts (1966, 1968, 1969). INdeed, this is the only appropriate way to study the initiaition of voluntary movement. The possibility of studying single cell activity in the behaving animal (Ricci et al. 1957) ahs opened new avenues and has changed the way in which we look at the neural bases of motor behavior, especially since motor mechanisms can be studied not only within narrowly defined motor conditions but also within a wide variety of behavioral contexts. Some of the changes that have gradually occurred during the past 25 years or so are outlined and briefly discussed below.