Eoad-Bunner WESTERN BIRDS 



ously streaked with brownish-white. The long tail is 

 plain iridescent black, tipped with white thumb marks 

 on all but middle feathers; under parts tawny-white 

 streaked with black; throat and belly, whitish; bill about 

 as long as head and slightly curved; feet large and 

 strong, as befits a ground-dwelling bird. 



One always feels repaid for any effort when a Road- 

 runner is seen, for they are such striking, interesting 

 looking birds. They are not particularly shy, in fact 

 they sometimes come into chicken yards and nest in the 

 neighborhood of homes if they chance to be near the 

 brush-covered hills, or sandy wastes where they live. 

 They thrive in captivity, when given enough room, and 

 make fascinating pets. Mrs. Elizabeth Grinnell, of 

 Pasadena, had one of these birds for several years, giv- 

 ing it the run of the house, as well as an outside run- 

 way, where it made itself perfectly at home, sleeping at 

 night on a shelf in her own bedroom. 



Their food consists of mice, horned-toads, snakes, 

 lizards, land shells, centipedes and like things. The nest 

 is compactly made of sticks lined with finer material and 

 placed low in trees, bushes, or cacti. Coues says that 

 from three to nine white, elliptical eggs are laid at con- 

 siderable intervals, and that incubation begins as soon 

 as a few are deposited; that the development of the 

 chicks is rapid, perfectly fresh and newly hatched young 

 being found together, and that by the time the last young 

 are hatched the others may be up to half the size of the 

 adult. "They are singular birds — cuckoos compounded 

 of a chicken and a magpie." 



Wonderful stories are told of the bird's being able to 

 run before the swiftest horse, its wings being held as 

 outriggers and the tail thrown over the back to help it 

 in a quick turn or abrupt halt, but just how fast the 

 bird can go I would not attempt to siay. In regard to 

 its killing rattle-snakes, while I have never seen this 



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