ORNITHOLOGY OF GUADALUPE ISLAND. 285 



appearing instantly. As I cautiously circled around the 

 spot, I noticed her head peering out from one side of the 

 boulder, and at once fired. After smoothing out her plum- 

 age and placing her upon a rock, I stationed myself against 

 the boulder and gun in hand watched for the male whose 

 call I had heard issuing from the darkness. Soon the call 

 was repeated nearer than before, and the form of an owl 

 rose dark above the horizon not twenty feet away. He dis- 

 covered my presence just as I threw my gun into position, 

 and giving a cry of alarm, swerved off. He was, however, 

 too late and was soon placed upon the rock beside his mate. 

 They were both very fat. one was gorged with caterpillars, 

 the other contained a single small beetle. 



LIST OF SPECIMENS COLLECTED. 



Iris and feet yellow. 



9, Colaptes rufipileus- 



GUADALUPE FLICKEK. 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 north- 

 ern portion, and in the vicinity of the large palm grove on 

 the northwestern slope they were occasionally seen. 



Of all the species of this family I have ever met with, 

 none have been so tame and unsuspicious or less frightened 

 by the report of a gut). In January I witnessed a peculiar 

 habit not before noticed, I believe, in birds of this genus. 

 A pair of Flickers were perched facing each other upon a 



20 BULL. GAL. ACAD. Sci. II. 6. Issued January 5, 1887 



