34 University of California Publications in Zoology [ Vou. 17 
hairy caterpillars (Pseudohazis sp.), and at least four other birds 
had taken from three to four hairy caterpillars apiece, but not of the 
same species. One of the spiny type of caterpillar (Hwvanessa 
antiopa) had been taken by a breeding female collected at El Toro, 
Orange County, on May 18, 1912. One instance of the destruction of 
caterpillars by the roadrunner, recorded by Anthony (1897, p. 217) 
is of peculiar interest : 
Not long since I called on a friend living in the suburbs of San Diego who 
had a large number of unusually thrifty passion-vines climbing over his fence. 
Upon inquiring the reason of their freedom from what I had considered an 
inevitable pest, he informed me that a pair of roadrunners (Geococcyx cali- 
fornianus) had for several months paid daily visits to his vines, climbing 
through them in all directions until the last caterpillar (Agraulis vanillae) 
had been captured. 
Flies.—The only representatives of the order Diptera found were 
two green-bottle flies (Lucilia caesar), a few robber flies and a syrphid 
fly; these latter were undetermined as to genus or species. In addi- 
tion, two stomachs contained quantities of fly larvae, those in one 
stomach being probably larvae of some species of Musca. Hundreds 
of these larvae were found in one stomach. The stomach of a road- 
runner from the Imperial Valley contained the larva of a warble fly 
(Cuterebra sp.). 
Bugs.—F ive per cent of the total food was found to be made up 
of hemipterous insects. Instead of a wide variety having been taken, 
it was found that the birds examined had been largely choosing cicadas 
(Cacama crepitans), insects which are close relatives of the seventeen- 
year locust of the eastern United States. Cicadas formed 4.3 per cent 
of the total food. Certain stomachs were completely filled with these 
insects, as many as thirty-six having been taken from a single bird 
(pl. 4, fig. 5). Eleven birds, or 13.2 per cent of all of those examined, 
had fed upon this insect to some extent. The next most abundant 
hemipteron was the cabbage-bug (Mergentia histrionica), ten having 
been taken from a single stomach. The latter and other bugs 
(Buschistus sp.; Anasa sp.) made up less than 1 per cent of the total 
food. 
Ants, bees, and wasps.—A little over 4 per cent of the total 
food was made up of ants, bees, and wasps. Several bumblebees 
(Bombus sp.), three carpenter bees (Ceritina sp.), and several 
ichneumon flies were items taken by several birds. The stomach 
of a roadrunner secured August 7, 1912, at Chula Vista, San Diego 
