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. 
Alccdinidae. 
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. 
