304 BULLETIN 17 4, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



the yellow in the v/ings and tail is duller; the black tips on the under 

 side of the tail are duller and not so well defined; and the bill is much 

 smaller and weaker. The young female is similar to the young male, 

 but there is no red in the crown or in the malar patches, the latter 

 being pale brown. 



I have not seen enough material, taken at the proper seasons, to 

 work out the molts, but these are probably the same as in other 

 flickers. 



Several apparent hybrids with cafer have been reported. Dr. Grin- 

 nell (1914), who has made a study of this subject, seems to doubt if 

 there is any hybridizing between these species ; he writes : 



The salient fact shown by this comparative examination is that in aU other 

 characters the specimens aberrant in colors of wing and tail, are perfectly 

 typical of chrysoides (that is, of its subspecies mcarnsi). None of the phenom- 

 ena consequent upon hybridization is evidenced in other particulars, such as gen- 

 eral size, proportional dimensions, extent of dorsal barring, colors of body and 

 head. In all these characters there is no nearer approach of the red-shafted 

 chrysoides to collar is, than of the yellow-shafted chrysoides. 



My conclusion is that the strain of chrysoides occurring at the present time 

 in the lower Colorado Valley shows proneness to replacement of yellow by red, 

 without there having been any interbreeding with another species. This may be 

 accounted for chemico-physiologically, as in the case of the linnet of the 

 Hawaiian Islands, where, however, the change has been from red to yellow. 



* * * It is quite evident that the aberrant examples described by Brewster 

 and Swarth from central Arizona, as referred to above, are of the same nature 

 as the Colorado Valley specimens. The chances are that they were not hybrids. 

 So far as shown by the literature at hand, no unquestioned hybrids have been 

 found between chrysoides (or any of its subspecies) and collaris or cafer. 



Food. — The food of Mearns's gilded flicker seems to be much like 

 tliat of the other flickers, including ants and various other insects and 

 such wild fruits and berries as are available in its territory. Dr. 

 Grinnell (1914) reports that the stomachs of two birds, taken in the 

 Colorado Valley, "had their gullets distended with a mass of small 

 l)lack ants and ant larvae." Mr. Oilman (1915) says: 



They resort regularly to the Indian corncribs and are seen in corn fields 

 though I have never noticed them actually engaged on an ear of green corn as 

 I have the Gilas. They probably attack the green corn but are quiet about the 

 work instead of advertising their presence. They eat largely of the cactus fruit 

 and possibly of the pulp at certain lean seasons. They are very fond of water- 

 melon, and eat freely of it when it is placed on bird tables or on the ground 

 in shade of tree or shed. They appear to feed frequently on the ground in 

 the way the red-shafted does, and are probably after ants most of the time. 

 I have seen them at work on an ant hill and even pecking into the ground 

 after the insects. 



Behavior — The same writer says on this subject : 



The Gilded Flickers are much quieter than the Gilas, and are not so much 

 in evidence around homes, though they do not appear to be very timid. They 

 are simply less sociable I presume. * * * 



