THE EOAD-EUNNEK. 15 



cactus, I know that sucli a hedge proves no barrier to these snakes, and that they 

 do not mind such obstructions in the least, passing over without touching thcni. I 

 ctjusider this story on a par with the generally accepted belief of hunters and fron- 

 tiei'snien in the West, that rattlesnakes will not cross over horsehair ropes, when 

 laid around one's bed while camping out. I admit having heard this frequently 

 from persons I had no reason to doubt, that 1 was a firm believer in the state- 

 ment, and made use of this snake protector for a numl)er of years; l)ut at last 

 my faith was rudely shattered by seeing a. medium-sized rattlesnnke delibci-- 

 ately crawling over such a rope which I had stretched around my tent. The 

 snake paid no attention to the hair rope, but slightly curved its body where 

 about to come in contact with it, gliding over without touching it, and, finding a 

 sunny spot at the side of the tent, coiled up to take a rest, part of its body lying 

 directly on the rope. Since witnessing this performance I have naturally lost 

 faith in this belief, and have wished many times since tluit it h;id not been so 

 rudely shaken, especially when in sections of the country where these reirtiles 

 are abundant and where one is liable to find his blankets occupied by one or 

 more rattlers. 



Road-ruuners are ordinarily rather shy and suspicious birds, and not as 

 often seen as one would think, even where comparatively common. Within the 

 United States they are most abundant along the southern borders of Texas and 

 Arizona, and in southern California. I found them rpiite common in the vicinity 

 of my camp on Killito Creek, near Tucson, Arizona, and also near Anaheim, 

 Orange County, California, and 1 have examined about twenty of their nests. 

 Notwithstanding their natural shyness, they are inquisitive birds, and whei-e they 

 are not constantly chased and molested will soon become used to man. One of 

 these birds paid frequent visits to my camp, often perching on a mesquite stump 

 for half an hour at a time, within 20 yards of my tent. While so perched it 

 would usually keep up a continuous cooing, not ludike that of the Mourning 

 Dove, varied now and then by a cackle resembling that of a domestic hen when 

 calling her Ijrood's attention to some choice morsel of food. This call sounded 

 like "dack, dack, dack," a number of times repeated. Another })eculiar sound 

 was sometimes produced by snapping its mandibles rapidly together. While 

 uttering these notes its long tail was almost constantly in motion and partly 

 expanded, and its short wings slightly drooped. In walking about at ease, the 

 tail is somewhat raised and the neck partly contracted. When suddenly 

 alarmed the feathers of the body are comp];essed and it trusts almost entirely 

 to its legs for escape, running surprisingly fast. While running it can readily 

 keep out of the way of ;i horse on a fair gallop on comparatively open groimd, 

 and should the pursuer gain too much on the bird, it suddenly doubles on its 

 course and takes advantage of any thickets oi- broken ground in the vicinity, 

 and is soon lost to sight. Its flight is apparently easy and, considering its short 

 wings, is rather swift. 



In southern Arizona the breeding season begins sometimes as early as the 

 mid(Ue of March, but the majority of the birds there, as well ;is tlii-ougliout 

 the balance of their range, do not connnence nesting before April, and nidili- 



