4 
THE WILSON BULLETIN— March, 1922 
limited to a region including* about six square miles, stretching* 
from the Texas Christian University Campus northeast to the 
borders of Forest Park on the one hand, and west to the banks 
of the Trinity Fiver on the other. Included in this area are some 
t- 
fair-sized hills, a number of runs or “ branches ” (tributaries 
to the Trinity), and several small ponds or puddles. The region 
worked most was to the west of Texas Christian University, 
along the banks of a little stream known as “ Howard’s Branch ” 
at that time, and further west, over a bold divide to the valley 
of a larger stream — this region known (to me at least) as 
the “ second woods.” These woods were very wild and dense 
in places, and sheltered such forest-loving species as the Barred 
Owl, Chuck-wilPs Widow, and Bed-bellied Woodpecker. The 
region in and about Forest Park was largely more or less open, 
with large areas covered with stretch-berry tangles and small 
open groups of trees. I am sure there are regions about Fort 
Worth more ideally adapted to a study of the Boad-runner, but 
these I did not know about, or at least did not take advantage 
of at the time. 
My first “ close-up ” of a Boad-runner was of a crippled bird. 
A friend called me, saying* he had “ one of those birds I had been 
looking for.” The bird — a full adult — had been a little too 
confident in human nature, and for some reason had run into 
town, and been shot through the side with a 22-calibre bullet, 
so that it was naturally somewhat under the weather. I re- 
member vividly my amazement, when I first held the weird- 
looking bird in my hands, at its light weight. It seemed to be 
all feathers and sinew, and the tibia? seemed to be heavier than 
the breast. This individual was very savage, and bit at my 
hand viciously. Though he was utterly unable to run on account 
of an injured femur, he was very vivacious, and would surely 
have been able to capture food enough to live on, had he been 
freed. But I kept him for study. It must be borne in mind 
that 1 knew absolutely nothing of Boad-runner nature when I 
acknowledge that with all good intent to both parties I put 
my new captive in the same cage with a Painted Bunting! “Why 
not?” thought I, “a Boad-runner is really a Cuckoo, and per- 
fectly harmless.” As a result I came out a few seconds later 
to find the Bunting in the Koad-runner’s mouth, and his feathers 
flying. I rescued the little victim; but the mauling and beating 
lie must have received proved fatal in a short time. Thus I 
learned, with attendant regrets, that the Boad-runner is a carni- 
