Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-07-24
ROAD RUNNERS AND SNAKES.
The Rather Was Surrounded nv "a Wall Of
Cactus and Then Goaded to Death.

Cactus and Then Goaded to Death.
There is a strange bird of the phcas.
ant family. peculiar to Southern Cali
fornia Arizona and Mexico. whose
habits have long been II puzzle to nat
uralists. and has furnished much amuse-
ment and interest to sport>men in these
localities. The name of this bird is the
road runner.
1t is built somewhat like an English
pheasant. being of dull brownish |
color and having long tail feathers and |
short, thick legs. 1t derives its name,
no doubt, from its ability to get over |
ground at rapid rate. as we'll as from
the fact that it is more frequently seen
on the country roads than anywhere
else. 1t is wary bird and is seen but
seldom. 1t rarely takes flight when
approached, but will run along the
ground, with its head down, at re-
markable rate of speed.
This peculiar bird appears to be an
invetcrate enemy of rattlcsnakes which
abound in great numbers in the locali-
ties before mentioned. 1t is said that
the birds first kill and then eat the
snakes, but of this latter fact l am not
certain. Their methods Of killing the
snakes are at once peculiar and ln-
genious. and will best be illustrated by
the following incident:
Some three years since l was camp
ing on the Gila River in Arizona.
had accompanied a prospecting party.
who had gone to this region in search
OF silver aud copper, which were said
to be abundant in this section.
was seated one day at noon near a
number of cactus plants. and getting
such shelter from the MONDAY sun as a
small cluster of manzanita bushes
/ would afford. l had not been seated
long when observed lying asleep about
twenty yards off Il large rattlesnake.
Selling stick. was about to make
an attack on the sleeping reptile, when
! noticed pair of large brown birds
standing under clump of bushes, and
apparently watching the rattler with
interest AS they had not seen me l
resolved to keep quiet and watch for
developments. | knew the birds were
road runners, and having heard that
they never let RATHER escape when
once thew saw one | was anxious to see
how it was done.
One of the birds cautiously approach
ed the snake as if to satisfy itself
that the reptile was really asleep. The
bird then walked deliberately up to a
small cactus plant and broke off a
piece of the thornv substance. which it
carefully laid down about foot away
from the snake. Piece by piece fol-
lowed until the snake was fairly walled
in by Il circle of thorns, from which il
would have been very hard for the
snake to have escaped without serious
injury.
The next movement on the part o
the birds was even more curious thar
before The snake had REMAINED
asleep all the time, but at this poin
, one of the birds. uttered Il sharp note
. Jumped into the ring, gave the reptil,
. a sharp nip with its bcak and was on
!. again almost before his snakeship wa
: aware of what had happened.
L To coil itself for IL spring was TIN
o first act of the serpent, and when on
of the birds approached within wha
appeared to be striking distance Their
was a sharp. quick dart forward. A
quick as flash the bird was out @
harm way,and equally sudden was tn
movement of the other Bird whic
seized the snake from the rear befor
it could again assume coil.
!. Every time the snake launched out ;
the birds it was pricked by the thorr
? until it became perfectly frantic wit
rage.
;. At last, smarting under the pain il
r flicted and unable to reach the bird
!, which kept jumping in and out OF tn
q ring with lightning-like rapidity, tt
o rather turned and bit itself again an
again.
: At this the birds seemed to suspeu
operations and very soon the body I
the snake began to swell, its move
ID ments became slower and slower al
It soon ceased altogether. The snat
r. was dead.
What might have further happened
am unable to say. as just at this sta:
=. of the proceedings l jumped to my fe
and thereby attracted the attention
9 the birds, who scampered off and we
4 soon lost to sight. The snake was
/: large one of its kind and had thirte
" rattles, beside the button at the Ell
10 When l told them in camp what h
- happened | was informed that this
L by no means an uncommon occurren'
) aud that after killing the snake t
birds invariably made a meal OF tn
II. xictims.-N. Y. Herald.
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