184 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS EGGS. 



385. Road-runner. Geococcyxcalifornianus. 



Range. Western United States from Oregon, Colorado and Kansas, south- 

 ward; most abundant on the Mexican border, and wintering in central Mexico. 



This curious species is known as the "Chaparral 

 Cock," "Ground Cuckoo," '"Snake-killer," etc. 

 Its upper parts are a glossy greenish brown, each 

 \ feather being edged or fringed with whitish; the 

 \ tail is very long, broad and graduated, the feathers 

 \ being broadly tipped with white. They are noted 

 ] for their swiftness on foot, paddling over the 

 ground at an astonishing rate, aided by their out- 

 stretched wings and spread tail, which act as 

 aeroplanes; their legs are long and have two toes 

 front and two back. Their food consists of lizards 

 and small snakes, they being particularly savage 

 [White]. i n their attacks upon the latter. They build rude 



nests of sticks and twigs, in low trees or bushes, 



and during April or May, lay from four to ten eggs, depositing them at inter- 

 vals of several days. They are pure white and measure 1.55 x 1.20. 



386. Mangrove Cuckoo. Coccyzus minor. 



Range. West Indies, Mexico and South America, 

 north regularly to southern Florida. 



This species is very similar to our common Yellow- 

 billed Cuckoo, but the whole underparts are deep buff. 

 It is a common species and nests abundantly in the 

 West Indies, but occurs only in limited numbers in 

 southern Florida. Their nests are shallow platforms of 

 twigs and rootlets, placed in bushes and low trees, and 

 upon which they lay three or four pale greenish blue 

 eggs, similar to those of the Yellow-billed species but 

 averaging smaller; size 1.15 x .85. 



Palegreenish ; blue.j 



[386a.] Maynard Cuckoo. Coccyzus minor may nardi. 



Range. Bahamas; accidental on Florida Keys. This is a slightly smaller 

 and paler form than the preceding. 



387. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Coccyzus americanus. 



Range. United States east of the Plains and from 

 southern Canada southward. 



This species is generally abundant in all localties 

 in its range, which afford suitable nesting places of 

 tangled underbrush or vines. It may be distin- 

 guished from the Black-billed variety by its larger 

 size (12 inches long), blackish tail with broad white 

 tips, and yellowish lower mandible. They are often 

 regarded by the superstitious as forecasters of rain, 

 and as omens of evil, probably because of their gut- 

 tural croaking notes. 



[Light greenish blue.] 



