288 



CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



is probably the largest that has been obtained, yet on the 

 other hand my series of the other form is not as full as could 

 be desired, and furthermore I possess neither specimen nor 

 description of the recently added variety saturatior. In the 

 late revision of the nomenclature of North American birds, 

 the variety hybridus was rejected. It seemed improbable 

 that the wide departures from typical examples of either 

 auratus or cafer could be attributed to hybridism. This 

 fact impressed itself more and more on my mind by the 

 ever - increasing occurrence of the so-called Hybrid Flicker. 

 Specimens of this genus, however, are found which no 

 stretch of the imagination can reconcile with any existing 

 description of auratus, cafer or rufipileus, and I have 110 

 doubt that similar departures may be found in specimens of 



chrysoides and saturatior. 







DIMENSIONS OF $ ad.C. RUFIPILEUS. 



No. 2406. Length 312 mm. Extent, 499 mm. 

 No. 2460. Stomach gorged with large black ants. 



