306 BTJLLETIIT 174, UNITED STATES NATIONAL, MUSEUM 



Mr. Anthony wrote to Major Bendire (1895) : "The Gilded Flicker 

 is rather common in the heavy growth of giant cactus, Cerens 

 'pHnglei., but not adverse to the candlewood forests which cover a 

 large part of the peninsula between latitudes 28° and 30°." The 

 general habits of this flicker do not seem to differ from those of the 

 species elsewhere. 



The eggs of the San Fernando flicker are similar to those of the 

 preceeding subspecies. GrifRng Bancroft (1930) gives the average 

 measurements of 24 eggs as 27.1 by 21.3 millimeters. I have the 

 measurements of 5 others, which average 28.9 by 22.1 millimeters. 



COLAPTES CAFER RUFIPILEUS Ridgway 

 GUADALUPE FLICKER 



HABITS 



This insular race of the red-shafted flickers is another member of 

 the unique avifauna of that interesting island that has followed the 

 Guadalupe caracara, and other species peculiar to Guadalupe Island, 

 into extinction. It was discovered by Dr. Edward Palmer in 1875 and 

 was described and named by Eobert Eidgway (1876) as Colaiptes 

 mexicannis ruiipUeus. In his description of it, he remarks: "In the 

 closed tail, only about half an inch of red is exposed on the under 

 surface beyond the lower coverts, the remaining 2.50 being uniform 

 black. The main differences from the continental form consist in the 

 longer bill, more pinkish rump, and bright tawny forehead. In the 

 latter feature, the resemblance is closer to C. chrysoides^ the crown 

 and nape having about the same gradation from bright cinnamon- 

 tawny anteriorly to dull grayish-cinnamon posteriorly." Although 

 it has a decidedly longer bill than the mainland forms, it has a much 

 shorter wing and tail. The collector's notes state that, even then, it 

 was "rare, and apparently only found in the pine-woods of the north 

 end of the island." 



Walter E. Bryant (1887), who visited Guadalupe in 1885 and 1886, 

 gives us the best account we have of this little-known bird. He says 

 of its status and haunts at that time : "Comparatively speaking, this 

 bird was not rare in the restricted area of the large cypress grove, 

 but apart from this locality less than a dozen were seen. Three 

 specimens were taken among some palms within a short distance from 

 the beach on the eastern side of the island. One only was heard 

 among the pines at the northern portion, and in the vicinity of the 

 large palm grove on the northwestern slope they were occasionally 

 seen." He collected ten specimens, whereas Dr. Palmer took only 

 three. 



In the spring of 1906, W. W. Brown, Jr., with two assistants, col- 

 lected for two months on the island for the Thayer Museum, of which 



