13 es Cape Region of Baja California. [zor 
coccyx californianus). Amanat San José fad two anis caged ebich 
he brought to me to have named, saying that the species had only | 
appeared at San José during the last two or three years, by” which I 
understood that it was only two or three years since he had noticed - 
the birds, for eight years before Mr. Belding saw four individuals e 
and secured a nest with eight eggs. Being black birds they of course 
call them by the same name as they give to several other species of 
birds which are black, although belonging in different families. 
The road-runners were more common in the cape region than at 
‘any place upon the peninsula where I have been; probably the cli- 
mate suits them and the country is certainly swarming with lizards, 
which constitute the principal article of their food. They were 
remarkably tame, too, and on more than one occasion permitted me 
to approach near enough to use the deadly auxiliary barrel, instead 
of a heavy charge from atwelve-gauge gun. I have heard of people 
eating road-runners and declaring that the flesh was excellent; it 
might taste well toa hungry man, and there is no reason why it 
should not be as good to eat as many articles that have been con- 
sumed without question, as for instance that wildcat and the big 
cormorant which I once served to a hungry camping party of which 
I was a member and cook fro fem. If any of them chance to read 
this confession I hope they will recall the extenuating circumstances — 
and the gusto with which they partook of those base dishes, and 
accordingly overlook the imposition. 
The genus Geothlypis was represented by three species which 
were found only close to running water. These were Belding’s yel- 
low-throat (G. de/dingi), western yellow-throat (G. trichas occiden- 
falis) and Macgillivray’s warbler (G. macgillivrayi), the first-named 
being the most common, while the last was not as rare as I have 
found it to be in California. Probably the limited area where they 
were found in the cape region made it easier to detect them. 
A favorite trip for both of us was to follow the broad, sandy bed 
of the river for a few miles and then cross over a low range of hills 
toa dry arroyo, where mesquite trees were large and numerous, 
and where the sour, wild, yellow plums called ‘“‘ciruelas” were 
ripe. As soon as we were out of town our moccasin shoes were re- 
moved and given to Manuel to carry for an hour or two, while we 
walked barefooted over the hot sand or waded the shallow crossings 
of the river, keeping meanwhile a keen lookout for rattlesnakes, but 
