Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-08-07
ROAD RUNNERS AND SNAKES.
The RATHER Was Surrounded by a Wall of
Cactus and Then Goaded to Death.

Cactus and Then Goaded to Death.
There is strange bird of the pleas
ant family. peculiar to Southern Cali
fornia Arizona and Mexico, whose
habits have long been a puzzle to nat
uralists. and has furnished much amuse-
ment and interest to sportsmen 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 a rapid rate, as well as from
the fact that it is more frequently seen
on the country roads than anywhere
else. 1t is a wary bird and is seen but
seldom. 1t rarely takes flight when
approached. but will run along the
ground, with its head down, at a re-
markable rate of speed.
This peculiar bird appears to be an
inveterate enemy of rattlesnakes, 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 | am not
certain. Their methods of killing the
snakes are at once peculiar and in
genious, and will best be illustrated by
the following incident:
Some three years since I vas camp
ing on the ella River in Arizona. |
had accompanied prospecting party,
who had gone to this region in search
of silver and 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. Ihad not been seated
long when l observed lying asleep about
twenty yards off a large rattlesnake.
Selling a stick, | was about to make
an attack on the sleeping reptile, when
| noticed a pair of large brown birds
standing under a clump of bushes, and
apparently watching the RATHER with
interest. AS they had not seen me |
resolved to keep quiet and watch fos
developments. | knew the birds were
road runners, and having heard that
they never let a rattler escape when
once they saw one | was anxious to see
how it was done.
One of the birds cautiously approach
ed the snake as if to satisfy itself
tina: the reptile was really asleep. The
bird then walked deliberately up to a
small cactus plant and broke off
piece of the thorny 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 circle of thOrns, from which it
would have been very hard for the
snake to have escaped without serious
injury.
The next movement on the part of
the birds was even more curious than
before. The snake had remained
asleep all the time, but at this point
one of the birds. uttered a sharp note,
jumped into the ring, gave the reptile
a sharp nip with its beak and was out
again almost before his snakeship was
aware of what had happened.
To coil itself for Il spring was the
first act of the serpent, and when one
of the birds approached within what
appeared to be striking distance there
was a sharp, quick dart forward. AS
quick as flash the bird was out of
harms way, land equally sudden was the
movement of the other bird, which
seized the snake from the rear before
it could again assume coil.
Every time the snake launched out at
the birds it was prlcked by the thorns
until it became perfectly frantic with
rage.
At last, smarting under the pain in
tiicted and unable to reach the birds,
which kept jumping in and out of the
ring with lightning-like rapidity, the
RATHER turned and bit itself again and
again.
AT this the birds seemed to suspend
operations and very soon the body Of
the snake began to swell, its move
ments became slower and slower and
soon ceased altogether. The snake
was dead.
What might have further happened [
am unable to say, as just at this stage
of the proceedings jumped to my feet
and thereby attracted the attention of
the birds, who scampered off and were
soon lost to sight. The snake was
large one of its kind and had thirteen
rattles, beside the "buttonn at the end.
When told them in camp what had
happened [ was informed that this was
by no means an uncommon occurrence,
and that after killing the snake the
birds invariably made a meal of their
victims.-N Y Herald.