The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-04-01
THE CALIFORNIA ROAD.
RUNNER.

HUMMER.
| A very singular and vet q very ltto
known bird is the roadrunner cbannr.
raj cock, or, as it is known in Mexico
and the Spanish sections of the United
States, the paisano.
IL belongs to the cuckoo family. but
mas none OF the bad habits by which tho
european cuckoo is best known. It isa
shy plrd, but is not by any means an
un1amlllar object in the southwestern
portions Of the United States and in
Mexico. Sometimes it wanders up into
middle California, but not often, seem
ing to prefer the more deserted, hotter
and sander parts of southern California
and from there stretching its habitat as
far east as middle Texas.
IL IS not by any means n brilliantly
colored bird, although some of it's hucs
are very beautiful. The prevailing color
of the roadrunncr is olive green, which
is marked with brown and white The
top OF the head is black blue, and is fur
nishcd with an erectile crest. The
| eyes are surrounded by line of bare
skin.
1t is not a large bird, being seldom
twcnty-four inches long, with tail TAX
ing more than half that length. The
tau, 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 is never still,
but bobs up and down. and sdewise,
too, into every possible angle, and al
most necessarily.
But while its tail is most striking, its
legs arc 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 the test
A traveller in Mexico tells OF poino
out with his ranchcro host to hunt hares
with brace of very fine hounds Going
over long stretch of sandy plain, re-
lleved only by pillars and clusters of
cactus, the Mexican called the attention
OF his guest to an alert, comical-looking
bird some distance from them.
With the remark that the gentleman
should see some rare ccursing, the Mexi-
can slipped the leashes of the straininp
hounds, which sprang off as if used to
tho sport, and darted after the bird. For
a moment it seemed to the stranger q
very poor use to put the dogs to, but
he was not long in changing his
mind.
Instead of taking wing, the bird tilted
its long tail straight up into the air in q
saucily defiant way, and started off on a
run IN direct line ahead. IT seemed
an Incredible thing that the slender
dogs, with their space dcvouring bounds,
should not at once overtakc the littlo
bird; but SO it was The legs of the
paisano moved with marvellous rapidity,
and enabled it to keep the hounds at
their distance for n very long time, be-
| lpo finally al nni,, f.r,, r
| gamest races ever witnessed by the visit
ing sportsman.
The roadrunncr, however, serves n
better purpose in life than being run
down by hounds. Cassin mentions a
most singular circumstance among the
| peculiarities of the bird. 1t seems to
have mortal hatred of rattlcsnakcs,
and no sooner sees one Of these reptiles
than 1t sets about in what to the snake.
might well seem most diabolical way
OF comprising its death. Finding the
| snake asleep, 1t ut once seeks out tho
splnlest OF small cacti, the prickly pear,
and, with infinite pains and uuictncss.
carries the leaves, which it breaks off,
and puts them in circle around the
slumbcfing snake. When it has made
sufficient wall about the object of nil
this care, it rouses its victim with sud-
den peck of its sharp bcak, and then
quickly rctircs to let the snake work out
Its own destruction, a thing it eventual
ly does III way that ought to gratify
the roadrunnrr if it have any sense of
humor. Any one Watching it would saw
1t was expressing the ivclicSt emotion
with its constantly and grotcsquclv NOV
ing tail.
The first impulse and act of the as
sau!!cd snake is to coil for a dart: its
next to move away. 1t quickly realizes
that it is hcmmcd in, in circle, and
finally makes rash attempt to glide
over the obstruction. The myriad of
tiny needles prick it and drive it back.
The angry snake, with small wisdom,
attempts to rctaliato by fastening its
fangs into the offending cactus The
spincs fill it's mouth
Antricr still, it again and again as
saultT che prckly wall, until, quite be-
side Itself with rage, it seems to lose its
wits completely, and, writhing and
twisting horribly, burics its cnvenomcd
iangs into its own body, dying finally
from its sclf-nfictcd wounds. After the
catastrophe, the roadrunncr INDUCES in
few gratificd nirts of its long tail and
goes of, perchance to find its reward in
being run down by the hounds set on by
men. John r. CorycH, in Scientific
american.
Suburban bellc-IIoW DELIGHTFUL il