58 Andrew Fackson Grayson. [ZOE 
mountainous regions and desert countries, where no other living 
creature is to be seen. Although met with in such localities, it is, 
_ however, not entirely confined to them, as it is an inhabitant of 
some portions of the thinly wooded parts of the “erva caliente of the 
west, where the trees are scrubby and the country open, asalso of the 
barren and rocky great central plains of Mexico. It seems to prefer 
a hilly country but scantily supplied with vegetation, where the 
various species of cacti form impenetrable thorny thickets, and the 
Agave americana rears its lofty stem amid its clustering sharp- 
pointed leaves, where the Ucas tree with its thousands of dagger- 
pointed leaves thrive best, with here and there a scrubby thorny 
bush, precipitous and deep gorges of basaltic rock, and the far- 
stretching horizon wild with strangely-formed mountains. Here 
the road-runner wanders in solitude, subsisting upon grasshoppers, 
mice, lizards, etc. It has no song to awaken the eternal silence 
that surrounds it, but silently and lonely pursues its avocation 
undisturbed in these desolate localities. 
The road-runner is seldom seen perched in a tree, although it not 
only roosts, but builds its nest in a low and thickly-branched 
Mimosa, and passes some portion of the day amid its branches, 
amongst which it jumps with as much facility and activity (for 
which its feet seem to have been intended) as it does upon the 
ground. Thus it would appear to be partly arboreal as well as 
terrestrial. It is most usually met with upon the ground, and as 
soon as it discovers the presence of danger or the intruder, instantly 
Tuns off with remarkable fleetness to the nearest thicket or hill, 
where it generally escapes from its pursuers, either by concealment 
or a short flight from one hill to another. Ifa tree with low branches 
be convenient it will spring into that, and, soon reaching the top, 
will fly off to a distance of an hundred yards or more. It appears 
to rise from the level ground with much difficulty, owing to its feeble 
anatomical structure, or apparatus for flight, the sternum measur- 
ing but little more than an inch, and the muscles of the wing 
being small and weak, the wings also being very short. Its mus- _ 
cular powers are mainly embodied in its stout tibia and tarsus, 
which give it the power to run with great swiftness. It is very . 
quick in its motions, active and vigilant; indeed, its fleetness ena- 
bles it to elude its pursuers although one may be mounted on a_ 
good horse, or a dog may be in the train; but this is only for a 
