COLAPTES AURATUS, 557 



COLAPTES AURATUSi 



Vi'llou'-Nliaft<>d Flicker. 



Cucvlus auratus, Linn., Syst. Nat., 1 (e<l. 10), 17.58, 112. 



Colaptes auratus, Swains., Zool. .Toiirn., 11 [, 1827, ;}53.— Baird, Birds N. Am., 



1858, 118; Catal. N. Am. B., IS.-,!), No. 97.— CoUES, Kev, 1872, 197; Check 



List, 1873, No. 312; Birds N.W., 1874, 292. 



Early in October, 1867, we saw near Unionville, in the West Hum- 

 boldt Mountains, a Flicker which had bright gamboge-yellow shafts to the 

 quills and tail-feathers. It flew from the brusliwood of a ra^^ne close by, 

 and was followed over the hills, from rock to rock, through the sage-brush 

 and across fields, and from one ravine to another, for nearly an hour, until 

 it finally disappeared. It was so extremely shy that we found it impossible 

 to get within fair gunshot range, but several shots were risked at it, one of 

 which brought several feathers, which on examination were found to be 

 pure, bright gamboge-yellow, without the faintest trace of orange. On the 

 22d of November following, a similar individual was seen among the willows 

 along the Truckee River, at the Glendale Meadows; but being on the oppo- 

 site side of the stream, it could not be obtained. Whether these birds were 

 the typical eastern O. auratus or C. clirysoides^ of the southern portion of the 

 Middle Province, we cannot, of course, be sure; but geographical consid- 

 erations render the former more probable. It is almost certain they were 

 not specimens of C. hyhridus, since the latter is seldom, if ever, without 

 more or less of an orange tinge to the wings and tail.^ 



' Geopicus chrysoidcs, JIalherbe, Kev. et Mag. Zool., IV, 1852, 553. 

 Colaptes chri/soides, Baird, Birds N. Am., 1858, 125; Cat. N. Am. Birds, 1859, 

 No. 99.— Cooper, Orn. Cal., I, 1870, 410.— Coues, Key, 1872, 198; Check List, 1873, 

 No. 313.— B. B. & R., Hist. N. Am. Birds, II, 1874, 583, pi. LIV, figs. 1, 2. 



'In the "Ornithology of California,'' page 412, Dr. J. G. Cooper mentions two 

 specimens from Oakland, near San Francisco, " which are evidently of the form hyhri- 

 dus. Baird," one of which "ditt'ers from the auratux only in having the head grayish 

 like mexicanns and the black of the cheek-feathers tipped with rerf." 



