(JOLAPTES AURATUS. 557 



COLAPTES AURATUS? 



Vellou-sliartod Flicker. 



Ciicnlus auratus, Linn., Syst. Nat., I (ed Id), 175S, 112. 



Colapfes auratus, SwAms., ZoolJouri]., I[[, 1S27, 353.— Baird, Birds N. Am., 



1858, 118; Catal. N. Am. B., IS.")!), No. 07.— OoUES, Key, 1872, 107; Clieck 



List, 1873, No. 312; Binls N.VV., 1S74, 292. 



Early in October, 1S67, 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 brushwood of a ravine 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 withiil 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 Glondale Meadows; Init being on the oppo- 

 site side of the stream, it could nr.t l)e obtained. Whether these birds Avere 

 the typical eastern G. aumtus or ([ cltnjsoides^ 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 evei-, without 

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



^Geopicus chrysoides, Malherbe, Rev. et Mag. Zool., IV, 1852, 553. 

 Colaptes chrysoides, Baikd, Birds N. Am., 1858, 125; Oat. N. Aiu. Itirds, 1850 

 No. 99— Cooper, Orn. Cal., I, 1870, 410.— Goues, 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 In/bri- 

 dus, Baird," one of which "diliers from the auratus only in having the heail grayish 

 like mexicanns and the black of the cheek-feathers tippe^l with red." 



