58 Bird -Lore 



runners, it must be exceedingly sharp and powerful. I have made many experi- 

 ments with my birds, to determine exactly their rate of digestion, but all 

 failed. There is no doubt, however, that their digestive system is quite unique. 

 The simple fact that the Road-runner swallows his prey entire does not make 

 his assimilative power so wonderful; but the fact that he disgorges no pellets, 

 as do the Hawks and Owls. Bones, feathers, fur, and scales are digested with 

 the flesh and skin, and likely aid greatly in the muscular development of the 

 bird's body. 



The rapidity with which these birds swallow their food is also noteworthy. 

 A snake ten inches long is swallowed in twenty-nine seconds, save an inch or 

 less of its tail; one 22 inches long in two minutes and thirty-one seconds. Five 

 English Sparrows, eight days old, were swallowed, on an average, in four 

 seconds apiece, while very small prey is swallowed in less time than it takes to 

 tell of it. Stubbed prey, such as cotton rats, is swallowed very readily after it 

 is once fairly started. 



By about the end of the first month of its life, the Road-runner is a very 

 different-looking bird than before. The most marked changes occur in the 

 eyes and mouth. While in a nestling the iris is brown with a blue-black pupil, 

 with very much the same expression as the eye of a young Thrush, in the 

 fledgling it is much different. At this time a pale gray circle gradually incloses 

 the pupil, as the brown of the iris becomes more intense. Then the gray circle 

 becomes lighter and finally pale buff, as it is in the adult bird. During the 

 nestling period, the mouth is bright red with black in spots and on the ridges. 

 When grown, the red becomes black or dusky, and the spots and ridges turn 

 white or pale salmon. 



The changes in color and appearance are not nearly so interesting, how- 

 ever, as the changes in actions. There is such a varied program in a day of 

 Road-runner life that only a few interesting items can be cited. 



In May, my pets awake shortly after 4 a.m., and immediately begin to 

 preen their feathers. I have been surprised to notice the time which they take 

 to keep the feathers bordering the lower mandible arranged. Standing on one 

 foot, they scratch this region with the other foot, then rub the feathers back 

 into ])lace by running their jaw along a board or stone. Their attention is next 

 directed to the crest. After it is thoroughly preened, it is raised slowly, in 

 satisfaction. To my knowledge, they do not often stretch, and, in fact, never 

 seem stiff or sleepy, even at night! During this time they roll their mandibles 

 about every thirty seconds, and proceed to take a dust-bath and preen their 

 feathers again, perhaps to assure themselves that they are awake. The dust- 

 bath is a queer performance. Shaking all over, and creeping along the ground, 

 by flapping their wings inwardly, they make the dust fly into all their feathers. 

 They often take baths of this kind, but never as yet have taken one in water. 

 A Road-runner, which may have taken a bath, was once seen near a pond, but 

 I am not certain that it did. After the dust-bath, their appetite claims full 



