Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-06-24
A Strange Bird.

An interesting story respecting the
habits, under peculiar circumstances,
of the chapparal cock commonly known
ms the "roau runner" Is related by q
California lady, who takes pleasure In
reproducing any interesting matter re-
garding the natural beauties of her ma
tive State: 1t appears that a family
named Davies, being engaged in olive
culture, occupied the "Old Mission v
at San Diego, around which is q dense
growth of cactus, passing through
which, one day, Mr.. Davies heard a
strange noise resembling the sound
made by a pair of pigeons billing and
cooling, winding up with a succession OF
short, quick, jerky notes, thus-per-
root! per-root! per-root The listener
searched until he discovered the cause
of his surprise, which was q nest OF
four young birds of the species Geococ-
cyx Californianus. He took them
home, and succeeded easily in raising
them In a coop, like chickens, the old
ones feeding them. Their beautiful
plumage soon attracted the attention
of number of visitors to the Old Mis-
sion.
The birds were finally released, but
they regularly returned at night TO the
coop and fingered around, becoming
satisfied habitues of the barnyard. Two
of them died. The two remaining
fought until one vanquished the other,
which for while repaired to the cactus,
but returned with the nest-making sea-
son. In the meantime the sole remain
ing bird had become so selfish in its
attachment to Miss Davies that it be-
came Il nuisance to the household. 1t
would allow no living thing near her,
showing its jealousy by darting fiercely
at the object of its hatred, pecking II
furiously with its sharp bill, whether
at, dog or child, oftentimes drawing
blood, after which it would retire salts
fed. For its own dainty consumption
it would bring in beetles, bugs, spiders,
and when anything larger was captured
-ior instance, n lizard or small snake
it would fly to its mistress, strut
around her until noticed and petted for
its enterprise, during which il coos
like a parrot whose feathers are being
rubbed down. With the returned mate
it began a nest on n small table by the
window in the young lady's room. The
nest-a most uncomfortable affair about
the depth of a SOUP -plate--was made oi
large, rough sticks. some of them about
ten inches long, which they brought
and laid on the outside of the window
sill, If the window remained closed, for
the occupant Of the room 10 add TO the
nest, which she faithfully did, and the
nest was soon completed, the inner
lining being dry grass and straw. But
one egg was laid in this rude nest in its
present location, inasmuch as the male
one day decided the fate of household
and home" by bringing to his mate q
large gopher snake, Which twirled itseli
around his beak more than half alive
whereupon, with peculiar nervou:
sensation, the lady Immediately re.
moved their lodging to the "cold
ground among the cactus, where the
birds Matched promising brood, anc
again brought them to the house fol
food like chickens. The young birds
are much like young turkeys, and a
full size are about as large as half
grown turkey hens. The road runner
particularly mentioned never forgot il.
attachment TO Miss Davies, and woulC
follow her everywhere after its chick
were grown; they only parted wher
the family lett the country, leaving tn,
birds behind, which they now regret
San Francisco Bulletin.