The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1886-04-15
Mzsfa pAIfisOH OHNEA :. ROAD
I. RUNNER. l,iIsa:

RUNNER.
a.Ahs4N 5A .--,-----~&-->---. ~ ItJtfts.Nf.
a worry singsfsnr and yet q very little
known bird IA the r6adrannef chapar..
and tho Spanish sections Of tho United
States. tho paisano. W IS 81
1t belongs to the cnckoo family, but
has mono Of the bad habits by which the
European cuckoo is best known. It Is q
shy bird, but is not by any means I'm
unfamiliar object in tho southwestern
portions of tho United States and in
Mexico. Sometimes it wanders up into
middle California, but not often, SEEM
ing to prefer the moro deserted, hotter,
and sander parts of southern California
and from there stretching it's habitat rs
far cast as middle Tcxas.
1t is not by any means a brilliantly
colorcd bird, although somo Of Its hues
arc very beautiful. The prevailing color
OF the roadrunncr is olive green, which
is marked with brown and white. The
top of tho head is black blue, and la fur
nished with an erectile crest. Tho
skin. ~. d,
1t is not large bird, being seldom
twenty-fonr inches long, with q bail TAX
ing more than half that length. The
tail, indeed, Is the most striking feature
of the bird, being not only so very long,
but seemingly endowed with the gift OF
perpetual motion, since it ia never still,
but bobs UP and down, and sidewise,
too, into overy possible anglo, and nj
most necessarily. Y.
But while its tail is most striking, its
legs are most remarkable, being not
only long and stout, but wonderfully
muscular. How muscular nobody would
be able to imagine who had not put
them to tho test. sN
A traveller in Mexico tells Of going
out with his ranchero host to hunt harcs
with q brace of vory fino hounds Going
over q long stretch of sandy plain, re-
lieved only by pillars and clusters OF
cactus, the Mexican called tho attention
of his guest to an alert, comical- looking
bird some distance from them.
With tho remark that tho gentleman
should SEQ some rare coursing, the Mexl-
can slipped the lcashes of the straining
hounds, which sprang off as If used TO
the sport, and darted after tho bird. For
moment 1t seemed to tho stranger q
very poor use to put tho dogs to, but
he was not long in changing his
mind. -a
Instead of taking wing, the bird tiltcd
its long tail straight up into tho mir in n
saucily defiant way, and started of on q
run in direct limo ahead. 1t seemed
an incredible thing that tho slender
dogs. with their space devouring bounds,
should not ut once overtake tho little
bird; but SO it was. Tho logs of the
paisano moved with maryclous rapidity,
and enabled 1t to keep the hounds at
fnr H>
ing finally overtaken only after ono of
ing sportsman.
Tho roadrunncr, however, serves a
better purpose in life than being run
down by hounds. Cassin mentions O.
most singular circumstance among the
peculiaritics of tho bird. 1t seems to
have II mortal hatred of rattlesnakcs,
and no sooner secs ono of these reptiles
than it sets about in what. to the snake,
might we'll seem II most diabolicnl way
OF comprising its death. Finding tho
snake asleep, il ut once seeks out the
spinicst of small cacti, tho prickly pear,
and, with infinite pains and quietncss,
carries tho loaves, which it breaks off,
and puts thcm in n circle around tho
slumbcring snake. When it has made
4 sufficient wall about tho object of NIL
this care. Il eouses itR vistiua will, n AUDI
den peck Of It's sharp boak. and tlipn
quickly rctircs to let tho snake work out
its own destruction, D thing it eventual
ly docs in way that ought to crafty
tho roadrunncr if it hayc any scnso OF
humor. Any one watching itwould say
it wag expressing the liyclicst emotion
with its constantly and grQtesqucly moy-
ing tnil.
The first impulse and got of tho as.
saulted snake is to coil for n dart; its
next to move away. It quickly realizes
that it is hommed IN, in q circle, and
finally makes II rnsh attompt to glide
over the obstruction. Tho 10 myriaa OF
tiny needles prick it and drive It back,
Tho angry snake, with small wisdom,
attempts TO rctaliato by fastening Its
fangs into the offending cactus. The
spincs Till its mouth.
AngfieF still. it again and again as
saults tho pficliy syall. until, quite be-
side itself with rage, it seehps to lose its
wits completely, and, writhinG md
twisting horribly, burics Its cpYcnomeA
fangs into its own body, dying finally
from its self-nflicted wounds. After TIC
catastrophe, tho roadrunncr indulges in
n fow gratilicd :lirts of its long tail and
goes off, perchanco to find its reward in
being FalR tAtown by the hounds sot OH by
men:I.John G,, a: ERryelh IN Scientific