THE CALIFORNIA ROAD-RUNNER 11 



grasshopper that was desperately winging his 

 way to safety. Always after the bird caught his 

 prey, it has been amusing to me to see him 

 standing in proud pose gazing into blank space 

 and, with a soliloquizing air, losing himself 

 in self-complimentary contemplations over his 

 victory. In the meanwhile his long tail was 

 generally moving delicately up and down like 

 the balance-arm of a scale. 



Lizards are the pasiano's chief fare; these he 

 cleverly picks off the rocks and one whack of his 

 bill is sufficient to kill them. So fond is this bird 

 of lizards that he has received the common 

 name of "lizard-eater." Especially during the 

 nesting season are many reptiles taken. The 

 baby birds are almost raised on them. Dr. 

 Harold Bryant ranks the road-runner as one 

 of the worst natural enemies to which lizards 

 and snakes are exposed. 



Early in May I saw a funny sight, when, with 

 a whir of wings, a road-runner sprang down 

 upon an ill-starred lizard and almost literally 

 pinned him to the sand as he stuck him with his 

 bill. As is usual the lizard disjointed and sur- 

 rendered his tail in the onset. The road-runner 



