76 Zoology of Colorado 



several occasions, at Golden, near Denver, on the Little Thompson 

 and near Fort Lyon. We may suppose that stray flocks occasion- 

 ally entered Colorado in former times, but they will never do so 

 again. The bird used to be referred to the tropical genus Conurus, 

 which it much resembles, but in 1891 Count Salvadori made it 

 the type of a new genus. Mounted specimens may be seen in 

 the Colorado Museum of Natural History. 



COCCYGES 



The Road-runner (Geococcyx calif or nianus), with crested head 

 and long tail, body plumage above metallic bronze, is such an 

 extraordinary bird that once seen, it can never be confused with 

 any other. It is placed with the cuckoos (Cuculidae), but in a 

 peculiar family (Neomorphinae) which is also represented in Borneo 

 and Sumatra. It lives on the ground, running rapidly, feeding 

 on insects, reptiles and young birds. Of true cuckoos, if we may 

 so designate the American species, which do not parasitize other 

 birds, we have three forms. The Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus 

 erythropthalmus), with the lower mandible black, and the outer 

 tail feathers only obscurely white at the end, is very rare. The 

 Yellow-billed Cuckoo (C. americanus), with the lower mandible 

 mainly yellow, and outer tail feathers strongly tipped with white, 

 is somewhat less rare, but not often seen. Some of the specimens 

 appear to belong to the larger western race C. a. occidentalis of 

 Ridgway. Our only kingfisher (Alcedinidae) is the well known 

 Belted Kingfisher, Ceryle alcyon. It is sometimes seen on the 

 University of Colorado Campus. 



PICI 



The woodpeckers are remarkable for the very long extensile 

 tongue. Fifteen species and races have been reported from Colo- 

 rado, referred to eight genera. Two of these genera, Centrums 

 and Phloeotomus, are only represented by casual wanderers, but 

 others are well established or common. The Red-headed Wood- 

 pecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus), with its bright red head and 

 black and white wings, is easily recognized. Everyone knows the 

 mottled flickers (Colaptcs), with black crescent on breast, and the 

 colored shafts of the large feathers showing as they fly. Our 



