THE GEOOVE BILLED ANL 13 



on May 28, 1802. These sets appear to have been laid by one bird, the egg-s 

 in eacli set resembUng each other very closely. They were placed in Imisache 

 trees {Acacia fanicskuia), from G to 10 feet from the ground, in ratlier open 

 woods. 



A nest now before me, taken by Mr. Charles W. Richmond, near the 

 Escondido River, Nicaragua, on July 6, 1892, containing three fresh eggs when 

 found, is composed of small twigs of a vine, mixed with a few blades of cane 

 leaves, and the center is tilled with a layer of leaves of different species. It is 

 a rather loose structure, about 10 inches in diameter and 4 inches in height. 

 Tlie inner cup measures 4 inches in diameter by 2i inches in depth. Nothing 

 definite is known about the time of incubation, nor whether the male assists in 

 this duty; from three to five eggs seem to be laid by each female, and two or 

 three broods are probably raised in a season. 



Tlie eggs are mostly oval in shape, but occasionally one is found that may 

 be called elliptical ovate. They resemble those of the Ani very closely and the 

 same description will answer for both, with the exception that the clmlky matter 

 coverino- the glaucous-ljlue ground color appears to be heavier in the present 

 species, giving them a more uniform milky blue appearance, and that they are 

 also considerably smaller. 



The average measurement of forty eggs in the United States National 

 Museum collection is 31.13 by 23.03 millimetres, or al)out 1.23 by 0.04 niches. 

 The largest egg of the series measures 33.53 by 25.15 millimetres, or 1.32 by 0.09 

 inches; the smallest, 27.68 by 21.84 millimetres, or 1.00 by 0.86 inches. 



The type specimen. No. 18565 (PI. 1, Fig. 7), from a set of five eggs, was 

 taken by Mr. L. Belding, near San Jose del Carbo, Lower California, on April 

 20, 1882, and represents an unscratched specimen. 



4. Geococcyx californianus (Lesson). 



EOAD-RUNNER. 



Saitrothera californiana LESSON, Complement des CEuvres de Buflfon VI, 182!) ( ?), 420, 

 Geococcyx californianus Baird, Birds of North xVmerica, 1S58, 73. 



(B G8, 28!», R 385, C 427, V 385.) 



Geographical range : Central and uortbern Mexico and adjoining portions of the 

 United States; east throns'li the western half of Texas, and extreme western Indian 

 Territory; north to southwestern Kansas, southefn Colorado, southern Utah, southern 

 Nevada, and southwestern Oregon ( I) ; I^ower California. 



Tlie Road-ntnner, ecptally well known as the "Chni)nrral Cock," and occa- 

 sionally calle<l "Snake-killer," "Ground Cuckoo," "Lizard Bird," and by the 

 Spanish-speaking poi)ulation of our southern bonh^r "Paisano'' and " Corrr- 

 (■(iiiiiiu).''' is generally a resident and l^reeds wlierevcr found, excepting perliaps in 

 the extreme northern portions of its range. This it readies in Shiista (Jounty, 

 Cnlifornia, on the western slopes of the Sierra, Nevada, in about latitude 40° N., 

 while on the east side of these mountains it has as yet not been observed north 



