1916] Bryant: Habits and Food of the Roadrunner 345) 
County, contained over 250 red ants (Pogonomyrmex californicus), 
along with a quantity of caterpillars, crickets, beetles, and grasshop- 
pers. Another bird taken in October had eaten ten carpenter ants 
(Camponotus sp.). One roadrunner had taken a tarantula hawk 
(Pepsis sp.), and two had each taken a single honey bee (Apis 
mellifera). The following species of hymenoptera were identified : 
Ichneumonidae Apis mellifera Linn. 
Bombus vornesenskii Rad. Chrysis sp. 
Ceratina sp. Pogonomyrmex californicus Buck. 
Pepsis sp. Camponotus sp. 
Spiders and scorpions.—Spiders composed about 0.7 per cent of 
the total food. A number of birds had taken the egg-cases of spiders 
and one bird, taken August 1, 1911, at Sorrento, San Diego County, 
had had the courage to devour a tarantula (Avicularia californica ?). 
One of the outstanding features of the diet of the roadrunner in 
California seems to be the presence of scorpions; these make up about 
3.67 per cent of the total food. The commonest species found in the 
stomachs was Anuroctonus phaeodactylus. Fourteen birds had taken 
scorpions and the remains of as many as four were found in a single 
stomach. Probably no other bird in California feeds so widely on 
this particular arthropod. 
Centipedes and millipedes—Both centipedes (Chilopoda) and 
millipedes (Julus sp.) were found in the stomachs, but they formed 
but a very small pereentage, much less than 1 per cent, of the total 
food. 
Crustaceans and snails—Sowbugs (Porcellio sp.) were found in 
but one stomach. No further evidence that crustaceans were eaten 
was forthcoming. McCall (in Baird, Brewer and Ridgeway, 1874, IT, 
p. 474) states that in Texas snails are greedily eaten by the road- 
runner: ‘‘These are usually taken either from the ground or a branch, 
and carried to a particular spot, where the shell is broken and its 
contents eaten. Piles of these shells are often found thus collected in 
places frequented by them.’’ No snails were found in the stomachs 
examined by the present writer. 
Toads and frogs—Stomach examination gave no evidence that any 
amphibian had been eaten. Toads were commonly eaten by tame 
roadrunners kept by Sutton (1915, p. 59), but it is doubtful if these 
vertebrates are taken by roadrunners under natural conditions. 
Lizards and snakes—About 3.7 per cent of the total food was 
found to be made up of reptiles. Except in one instance, lizards alone 
