WITH BROWN PREDOMINATING 183 



five eggs. Another in an oak, eight feet from the 

 ground, looked as if it might have been built originally 

 by a jay and relined with a few dried leaves. Several 

 were in clumps of cactus ; and one was within a foot of 

 the ground, on a broken part of a log, well sheltered by 

 bushes, — the bird perhaps having fancied that the log 

 was part of the bush. This nest was quite elaborately 

 constructed of twigs and lined with cow-hair, snake- 

 skin, and feathers interwoven with rootlets. It con- 

 tained, June 3, five young birds, covered with quills. 

 Twenty-four hours later, every feather on three of them 

 had burst its sheath, and they w^ere apparently ready for 

 their debut ; but they clung desperately to the nest with 

 their strong feet when an attempt was made to lift them 

 from it. The noise made by the young resembled the 

 click of two pieces of wood — not metal — striking 

 sharply together, and did not fail to bring both parents 

 to the scene. They were very angry, and presented a 

 ludicrous though more or less formidable defence, with 

 bills snapping sharply, wings and head bristling, and 

 long tail wagging. But they preferred discretion to 

 valor, and on being pursued slunk away swiftly after the 

 manner of cuckoos. 



In Southern California the Road-runners begin nesting 

 in March, and eggs are found late in June ; hence we 

 may infer that in some instances even three broods are 

 raised in a single season. I believe, however, that this 

 is true only when an accident destroys the eggs or young 

 of the earlier broods. The Mexicans insist that the 

 [)airs remain united throu<,di()ut the entire year; but I 



