(xaococcys califoniiainis (Lkss.)- 
WritKMI fill- I'lli: NATUllALIST. 
The subji'ct of our sketch is familiar- 
ly known as Ground (Juckoo, Chaparral 
Cock, or Road-i uniier. He is the largest 
and most conspicuous if not the briuht- 
e^t colored representative of the order 
COCOYGKS of which less than two 
dozen siiecies are found in North 
America, and uf these Ornitliologists do 
not credit a dozen as being fouml and 
breeding within the limits of the United 
States. 
The A. O. V. Code, and Prof. Coues 
listing nil. e each ; Mr. Kidgway describ- 
ing eleven in his recent woik Rigdway's 
Manual of Nortii American Birds. 'Ihis 
order is now divided into tliree families 
for the I'nited States: CucuLiu.ii. 
Cuckoos, Anis. etc;TKOGu>!iDyE. Trogons; 
AlcedinidvK or Kingfishers. A fourth 
family, M< ).AioTU).i':, tlie jMotmots, is, ac- 
cortling to llidgway. peculiar to Mexico 
and the three species of this family are 
all goigiously attired in blue and green 
and gold. 
The family Cucvlid.k has nine repre- 
sentatives in North America, eight of 
which inhabit the United States, though 
it is doubtful if one of these, C. mcnj- 
nca-(h\ breeds with us. 
This family is divided into tluve gen- 
era; (;'rotophaj;a. Geococcyx and Coccy- 
zns. Geococcyx lias but one representa- 
tive in the States, californianus. and the 
other species, G. affims, Mexican Koad- 
runner, is found in Mexico. Our Road- 
runner does not reside within the borders 
of Missouri as he is described as inliabit- 
ing northern Mexico, western Indian 
Territory and Kansas, southern Colorado 
and California. In life, the naked skin 
before and behind the eye is brightly 
colored with blue, white and red or 
orange. He is conspicuously striped 
with soiled white and brow n, the latter 
being glossed with gr>^en; lower parts 
whitish with a pale brownish tinge on 
on the chest and fore-neck; tail feathers, 
excepting the middle pair, broadly tip- 
ed with white, the outer webs being 
glossy t)lnc bliick and the innei' webs 
greenish. The bird is from twenty to 
twenty-four inches long, the wing>;ibont 
seven inches, anil the lail usually a foot 
long. 
The nest of this species, like the more 
familiar ones of liis yellow and black- 
billed relatives, is rudely constructed of 
sticks, grasses, etc., in bushes or low 
trees. The eggs are more numerous 
however, there often being as many 
as twelve. They are ovate in form, 
white or bully wliite in color, and 
average 1 .54 x 1.20. 
Californianus displavs a great fond- 
ness for Rattlesnakes. Basking in the 
semi-tropic afteinoon sun"s fierce lays, 
they soon fall asleep and at such times 
are usually foinid by our long-tailed 
friend, the Road-runner, who immediate- 
ly proceeds to snrrfumd one ^^•ith a correll 
of cacti leaves, f his done, he hops into 
the pen and, administering ^Mr. Rattler a 
vigorous peck, hops out again. The snake 
thus rudely di-turbed from his siesta, 
awakes, f tniou'^ at the interruption, and 
finding himself surrounded by the cor- 
rell vigorously assalts it. Wounded by 
the prickers he becomes blind with rage 
and strikes again and again, until, cover- 
ed with cacti leaves, he succumbs, a vic- 
tim of his own folly. 
Tho R>ol-ruiiier pro'iably gains this 
particular name from its fleetness of 
foot, often taxing the speed of a horse 
to its utmost to keep up with it, until, 
tired of the sport, he declares the race 
oft", by turning suddeidy to the right 
or left and concealing himself in the 
inininierable cacti thickets that abound 
on either side of tlie road. 
J. W., Mexico. :Mo. 
Eggs Almost (liiveii Away. 
New Cataloijne Froe. 
Since moving here we have made such 
business arrangements that make it nec- 
essary for us to raise a large amount of 
ready cash by May 1st. We propose to 
do tliis out of our ••$5,000.00 stock of eggs 
and curiosities, which we have listed in 
our large illustrated CMtalogue of Natu- 
ralists' Supplies, which will be mailed 
free. The prices thert in are very low, 
nevertheless, we will cut even those fifUj 
(50) per cent. ^Ve cite a few fXiDiiplcs: 
701 American Robin, fO 01 
[TCII] Red-winged Thrush, 15 
70 5 Mockingbird. 03 
704 Catbird, 01 
705 Brown Thrush, ■ 01 
G2-2« Wliite-rmnped Shrike, 06 
593 Cardinal Grossbeak, 03 
497 Yellow-headed Blackbird. 03 
."idli Orchard Oriole, 03 
488 Common Crow, 03 
40-2 Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 00 
378 Burrowing Owl, 19 
352 Bald Eagle, 1 68 
310 Wild Turkey, 32 
No order will be taken for less than 
fifty (50) cents. I'ostage and packing 
extra on all orders of less than $4.00. 
Ex|)ress charges will be prepaid on all 
orders of $5.00 or more, and when same 
amounts to .$10.00, select $11.00 worth. 
In either case, if you add forty (40) 
cents to your order we will make yon a 
member of The National Book Exchange 
and send you all their catalogues free. 
Read their ail elsewheie in this paper. 
Always name additional specimens 
that can be used as substitutes in case we 
are out of those desired. Should you not 
do this we will add others equally as de- 
sirable, or will return your money. ^ 
Trouslot & Co., Kansas City, Mo. ( 
N. B. Ex. Ad. 
North Am. Birds, 
FOR 
SIX DOLLARS. 
Containing Concise Descriptions of Every 
iSpecics of Birtls IviioM ii in North America. 
By Robert Ricigway, 
Curator Department of Birds, United 
States iNational Museum, 
Profusely Illustrated with 464 Outline Cuts of 
the Generic Characters, and a Portrait of tht 
I;t9 Spencer F. Baird, 
Pl ice, Post Paid, §7.50 
Is tlie largest and most convenient book 
for [let erinining tlie character of American 
birds that has been issued in this country. 
It is the most valuable reference volume for 
correct scicntilic data reaarding- general 
character, nomenclature, the natural liab- 
11 at, and related knowledge. It Is indis- 
jicnsable to naturalists and to sportsmen.— 
Uoslon Globe. 
A work of extraoidinary value.— Philadel- 
lihia Kvening Bulletin. 
The ]ilates are admirable, giving the bills, 
claws, etc., of birds in life size.— Brooklyn 
Eagle. 
We will prepay the express charyes on 
the above valuable book to anj' part of 
the United States for six (6) dollars. We 
will also send you a Certiticate that will 
permit you to order for yourself or?am- 
ily, through us at wnolesaie prices, an 
books published. We will also send you 
our mammoth book catalogue (106 octavo 
pages.) giving the wholesale prices of 
more than 3,000 cloth and sheep bound 
volumes, embiacing the followingheads ; 
History, Biography, Fiction and General 
Literature. Poets and Poetry, Scientific 
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Travel and Adventure, Home and Farm- 
ing, Theological and Religeous. Medical 
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Address with a two (2) cent stamp, 
Katioiial Book Exchang:e, 
(501 Main St., Kansas Citj, Mo. 
BIRDS OF EASTERN NORTH AM. 
For Only 
Seven Dollars. 
FORMER PRICE WAS §1S.00. 
We will also give a certiticate of mem- 
bership 10 the National Book Exchange, 
which will permit you to order all hooks 
through them at lowest wholesale prices. 
Trouslot & Co., Kansas City, Mo. 
BAHAMA CUCKOO EGGS. 
This valuable set af eggs cost us .•$100.00 
biit they can be had now for $50.00. in- 
cluding the nest. This is the only set of 
BahanVa (Juckoo eggs in the world. A 
rare chance for some one to add a rare 
set to their collection.— Trouslot & Co. 
