THE ROAD-RUNNER AND KINGFISHER 



215 



the eggs or egg-shells of other birds was proven 

 by the finding of shells "in several stomachs, 

 but only in very small quantities — no more than 

 was found in the stomachs of nearly every spe- 

 cies that has been examined." Thus the offence 

 charged proves to be too trivial to consider. 



The Yellow-Billed Cuckoo inhabits the east- 

 ern half of the United States to the Great Plains, 

 and the Black-Billed ranges westward to the 

 Rocky Mountains, from Canada to the tropics. 

 From the Rockies to the Pacific, and up to Brit- 

 ish Columbia, is found the California Cuckoo, a 

 close counterpart of the Yellow-Billed species. 



The Road-Runner, or Chaparral Cock, 1 is 

 a very strange bird; and many strange "yarns" 

 have been told of it. It is remarkably odd in 

 form, and also in its habits. It is about the size 

 of a small crow, with a tail as long as its entire 

 body and head, and legs that are so long and 

 strong they seem like those of a grouse, save that 

 the toes are longer. The body is slender, but 

 the neck and head are large, and the head has a 

 conspicuous crest. The beak is large. Although 

 this bird has wings, it seldom uses them, and 

 they must be constantly growing smaller through 

 disuse. 



This strange bird is a habitant of the South- 

 west, from Texas to southern California and 

 southward, and lives on the ground, in the low, 

 dry brush which is called chaparral (shap-a-ral'). 

 It feeds upon every living thing inhabiting that 

 region which it can catch and swallow, — mice, 

 lizards, small snakes, centipedes and insects. 

 It is one of the most nervous birds imaginable, — 

 suspicious of everything that moves, and ready 

 to make off without stopping to reason why. 



It exhibits a decided preference for the smooth 

 trails and paths through its beloved chaparral, 

 and when alarmed it does not rise and fly, but 

 makes off running, in the trail. It runs with 

 great swiftness and seeming ease, but Dr. D. T. 

 MacDougal has been informed that Mexican boys 

 sometimes run them down, on foot, and either kill 

 them with sticks or catch them alive. 



This bird is also great at leaping, as we have 

 seen in keeping it in captivity. Instead of fly- 

 ing to the top of a cedar-tree perch six feet high, 

 and down again, it always leaps, with closed 

 wings; but in leaping up it prefers to take a short 



1 Ge-o-coc' cyx cal-i-jor-ni-an'us. Length, 21 to 23 

 inches. 



run to acquire momentum. If this bird goes 

 on ten thousand years in its present habits, by 

 the end of that period its descendants probably 

 will be without the power of flight, but provided 

 with legs and feet so strong and full of spring 

 that they can leap twenty feet. 



THE KINGFISHER FAMILY. 



Alcedinidac. 



This family is widely and beautifully repre- 

 sented in the Malay Archipelago, but only three 

 species are found in the United States. The 

 Belted Kingfisher 2 is of almost universal 

 distribution throughout North America, from 

 the arctic Barren Grounds to Panama and the 

 West Indies. Go where you will, in its season, 

 where small fish abide, there will you find it. 

 It is dignified, handsome, alert, and a true sports- 

 man. Its favorite perch is a dead limb over 



THE BELTED KINGFISHER. 



still water, from which it can command a wide 

 view, and swoop to the surface of the water in 

 five seconds of time. You will know it by its 

 bright blue upper surface ; high and saucy crest ; 

 long, dagger-like beak; white under surface 

 and broad belt of blue around the upper breast. 

 Its cry is a metallic rattle, like " Churr-r-r-r-r-r!" 

 and its food is small fish. It nests in a hole 

 dug several feet horizontally into a perpendicu- 

 lar bank of earth, near water, or in a hollow 

 tree. 



2 Cer'y-le al-'cy-on. Length, about 12 inches. 



