M CAULEY ON BIRDS OF THE RED RIVER OF TEXAS. 



677 



Oue of the specimens obtained was secured iu the actof entering the 

 hole of a Prairie Dog {Cynomys ludovicicmus), another of the same brood 

 having succeeded iu taking refuge iu it before the " rear guard "was cut 

 oflF. 



ALCEDINID.^. 



Oeryle alcyon, (L.) Boie. — Belted Kingfisher. 



Eed Kiver and its headwaters, with the streams in many places 

 abounding in fish, and the pools, the haunts of many of the Anatincey 

 were apparently without any of this species. They were, however, 

 found very abundant on McClellan Greek, the Canadian, etc. 



CDCULID.E. 



Geococcyx californianus, (Less.) Bd. — Chaparral Coclc ; Ground 

 Cuckoo. 



This odd-looking bird, so striking in its appearance, was first observed 

 iu the Caiiou of Eed Eiver, below the summit of the plain, where the 

 chaparral surrounded us. It was noticed frequently by oue of the 

 escort whilst guarding the stock, and seemed so little to fear harm that 

 it ran several times within a few feet of him. It required, however, hard 

 work for a day to find the specimens secured, and then their position 

 was only kuowu by the harsh call they uttered, when perseverance in 

 calling them was rewarded at last by securing the pair. The curiosity 

 of this bird is exceeding, and he never fails to gratify it. If there is 

 any unfamiliar sound over the ridge above him, up comes his head over 

 the top, and he stops for a moment to stare. That suflices, however, 

 and if the object be strange and apparently unfriendly or iu pursuit, he 

 is off like a tlash. Frequenting the chaparral or scrub-oak only, and the 

 rough ravines they cover, he travels on foot, and the celerity of his 

 movements in such a mass of tangle-brush is wonderful. 



The species was frequently observed subsequently whenever we de- 

 scended from the top of the plain to the caiions of the streams. 



Once near Battle Creek I observed one Hying; it had, however, been 

 alarmed by one of the scouts ahead of the column, and only used its 

 wings to cross a wide ravine, when it immediately ran out of sight some 

 hundreds of yards with the swiftness of a deer. From the locality 

 they prefer, they get part of their name : to the notes they utter is due 

 the other, a coarse cuckoo at the best. It is no prettier than the bird ; 

 a succession of low chuckles, grating harshly at first, softening at the 

 end, and repeated often if you get near a pair. A few of the notes 

 bring to mind the call of a barn-yard cock to his hen. In the quiet of 



