THE GROOVE-BILLED ANI. 13 



on May 28, 1892. These sets appear to have- been laid by one bird, the eggs 

 in each set resembling cadi other very closely. They were placed in huisache 

 trees (Acacia farnesiana), from 6 to 10 feet from the ground, in rather open 

 woods. 



A nest now before me, taken by Mr. Charles W. Richmond, near the 

 Escondido River, Nicaragua, on July 6, 1892, containing three fresh eggs when 

 found, is composed of small twigs of a vine, mixed with a few blades of cane 

 leaves, and the center is tilled with a layer of leaves of different species. It is 

 a rather loose structure, about 10 inches in diameter and 4 inches in height. 

 The inner cup measures 4 inches in diameter by 2\ inches in depth. Nothing 

 definite is known about the time of incubation, nor whether the male assists in 

 this duty; from three to five eggs seem to be laid by each female, and two or 

 three broods are probably raised in a season. 



The eggs are mostly oval in shape, but occasionally one is found that may 

 be called elliptical ovate. They resemble those of the Ani very closely and tin; 

 same description will answer for both, with the exception that the chalky matter 

 covering the glaucous-bine ground color appears to lie heavier in the present 

 species, giving them a more uniform milky blue appearance, and that they are 

 also considerably smaller. 



The average measurement of forty eggs in the United States National 

 Museum collection is 31.13 by 23.93 millimetres, or about 1.23 by 0.94 inches. 

 The largest egg of the series measures 33.53 by 25.15 millimetres, or 1.32 by 0.99 

 inches; the smallest, 27.68 by 21.84 millimetres, or 1.09 by 0.86 inches. 



The type specimen, No. 18565 (PI. 1, Fig. 7), from a set of five eggs, was 

 taken by Mr. L. Belding, near San Jose del Carbo, Lower California, on April 

 29, 1882, and represents an unscratched specimen. 



4. Geococcyx californianus (Lesson). 



ROAD-RUNNER. 



Saurothera californiana Lesson, Complement des (Euvres de Bnffon VI, 1829 ( ?), 420. 

 Geococcyx californianus Baird, Birds of North xVinerica, 1S58, 73. 

 (B 68, C 2S9, R 3S5, 427, U 385.) 



Geographical range: Central and northern Mexico and adjoining portions of the 

 United States; east through the western half of Texas, and extreme western Indian 

 Territory; north to southwestern Kansas, southern Colorado, southern Utah, southern 

 Nevada, and southwestern Oregon (?); Lower California. 



The Road-runner, equally well known as the "Chaparral Cock," and occa- 

 sionally called "Snake-killer," "Ground Cuckoo," "Lizard Bird," and by the 

 Spanish-speaking population of our southern border "Paisano" and "Corre- 

 camino" is generally a resident and breeds wherever found, excepting perhaps in 

 the extreme northern portions of its range. This it reaches in Shasta County, 

 California, on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, in about latitude 40° N., 

 while on the east side of these mountains it has as yet not been observed north 



