March, 1881.] 
AND OOLOGIST. 
California Bird Notes. 
Chapakkal Cock. {Geococcyx californianus .) 
The notes of G. H. Ragsdale in the Jan- 
uary number of the Oologist, regarding 
the Chaparral Cock ( Geococcyx californi- 
anus) or Roadrunner, as it is called here, 
call up some of my experiences with that 
very odd and interesting species. Its 
fleetness is indeed very remarkable, but 
can be continued but a short time without 
rest. When pursued, its habit seems to be 
to run with great speed for several rods, 
then suddenly stop for a moment; then on 
it goes again, stops again, and so on. Its 
habit of throwing up its long tail seems to 
greatly assist it in stopping so suddenly. 
Its inability to continue its rapid running 
without rest is proven by the fact that 
boys frequently run them down by setting 
dogs upon them. While running it can 
usually increase the distance between it 
and its pursuer, but while resting the dog 
more than makes good the gain and soon 
overtakes it. The Roadrunner builds a 
bulky nest usually in a bunch of cactus, a 
foot or so from the ground. One found 
May 16, contained two eggs, the embryo 
being well developed. Another nest, 
found two weeks later, contained two 
young nearly full fledged, and two eggs 
still fresh. From these facts it would 
seem that two is the usual clutch of eggs, 
and that a second set are laid before the 
young of the first set leave the nest. 
Red Tailed Hawk.— Jan. 13 I saw a 
pair of these birds rejiairing an old nest, 
climbing to which I found it newly lined 
with cottonwood bark and green sage 
twigs. Last year I obtained my first eggs 
of this species March 25. 
Albinos. —Dec. 7,1 shot a most beautiful 
Albino California Quail {Lophortyx call- 
fornicus,) and Jan. 12 an Albino Red- 
shafted Woodpecker {Colaptes mexicona.) 
They both now enrich my collection. Is 
it not an unusual occurrence to find Albin¬ 
os among the Picidse ? 
Early Nesting.— Last Saturday, Feb. 
12, I found a Horned Owl’s nest in the top 
of a live oak tree, containing tw'O eggs. 
A shot at the Lewis Woodjiecker {Asyn- 
desmus torquatus) caused the owl to fly 
from the tree, thus betraying her nest. 
Both eggs were slightly incubated. On 
Monday I found a nest of the Sickle-billed 
Thrush {Ilarporhynchns redivivus) con¬ 
taining two eggs, and a nest of the Long¬ 
eared Owl ( Otus vulgaris var. wilsonianus) 
with one egg. I visited each nest this 
evening, Feb. 15, and found three eggs in 
the first and only one in the second. 
Tins I think is remarkably early for the 
Thrush. My liuteo borealis of which I 
wrote you before, has not yet begun to lay. 
This is at least a month earlier than any 
birds nested here last year.—B. W. Evee- 
mann, Santa Paula. 
Bird Notes. 
C. N. P., Muscatine, Iowa, writes that he 
has probably taken fifty sets of Rose¬ 
breasted Grosbeaks’ eggs, and thinks that 
at least one-fourth had four eggs. He 
states that the nest is built so shallow the 
eggs sometimes blow out, hence the small 
number occasionally found. Jan. 1st, he 
saw a Robin when the ground was covered 
with snow, and the thermometer down 
to zero. Jan. 5, saw another; thermome¬ 
ter below zero. Jan. 26, saw two common 
Doves; ground entirely covered with snow, 
and 6° below zero. In mild winter they 
are sometimes seen in January and Febim- 
ary, but this has been an unusualiy severe 
winter. 
- M. B. G., Shelter Island, reports that 
Night Herons do not seem to mind the 
excessively cold weather, as several were 
seen on Jan. 28, coming to feed in a springy 
place along a creek. Snow Buntings and 
Yellow-rumped warblers were quite plenty. 
Song Sparrows were seen almost daily ; 
saw a Robin and a King Fisher on Jan. 20. 
We should consider it a special favor if 
our re iders who are pleased with our mag¬ 
azine, would show it to their friends and in¬ 
duce them to subscribe for it. 
