Koo 263 



sideways toss which I interpreted as "Oh, there you are! Now I'll get some- 

 thing to eat." 



While I was getting his lunch and talking to him he stood with a pleased 

 and not-at-all nervous air looking up at me. Holding out his food I called 

 coaxingly and he came nearer and nearer until I could see not only the hand- 

 some bluish black of his crest but the pink of the streak over his yellow eye. 

 Quite different he seemed from the sandy-and-brown streaked bird so well 

 camouflaged when standing on the mesquite slope. But the beautiful green 

 sheen of his tail seen sometimes as he ran was not noticeable now. Such a 

 decorative, cuckoo-like fan is not always kept tightly closed and may well 

 play an important part, as has been suggested, in courtship display. 



While Koo and I were regarding each other in friendly fashion, and I was 

 coaxing him to come still nearer, with a pretty turn he lowered his head, puffed 

 out his throat and emitted his strange guttural note. Was it a coy way of 

 begging for favors in the manner of a trick dog, or was it just a sign of intimate 

 friendliness? Be that as it may, as our bird became more and more at home 

 with us, in choice, as it were confidential moments, he frequently went through 

 with this same pretty play. 



A familiar habitue of camp, if we were in the tent when he came he pro- 

 ceeded to look for us, often surprising us by peering in under a raised tent flap. 

 He was photographed at such a time from inside when standing only six feet 

 away, back to the sun, and feathers bristled up all over his body. 



Koo was not usually an early visitor, but one morning when the tent door 

 was opened he was found standing outside waiting for breakfast. As we had 

 nothing especial for him at the moment, I went on with my morning's camp 

 work, leaving the door open and paying no more attention to him. When 

 something called me outside, to my surprise, out of the door ahead of me ran 

 Koo! Had he taken the opportunity to examine the cages of small mammals? 

 If so, he may well have found it an interesting interior. 



Whenever, perhaps by reason of an awakening warm wave, Koo failed to 

 come regularly for his meals, we thought anxiously of feathers of dead Road- 

 runners found up the canyon and of shots heard from his route, for he had 

 become such an accepted camp mascot that we missed him sadly. After one 

 such unhappy interval I suddenly heard his voice and looked up to discover 

 him standing quietly waiting as was his wont after announcing his arrival. I 

 called out an eager welcome and the Mammalogist, equally glad to see him, 

 hurriedly threw him a pocket mouse that had been waiting for him, such a 

 big one that he had to gulp hard to even partly swallow it and had to leave 

 the tail sticking out of the side of his bill for some minutes. In the afternoon 

 he was back for more, however, as if his prolonged hunting expedition had left 

 him hungry, this time coming within two feet, almost to the hand for a small 

 kangaroo rat. 



The first week in February Koo appeared on the trail above the tent with 



