(492) 



23. Malirnbus erythrogaster Rchw. 



Malimbut erythrogaster, Reichenow, Dm. Monatsber. 1893. p. '.M;, (Jannde in Kamerun). 

 (Neither Shelley nor Reichenow quoted the original description of 1893.) 



Dr. Ansorge sent ns a small but interesting series of this rare bird from 

 the Lower Niger. 



3 6 ad., 1 <$ jnv., 1 ? fere ad., Oguta, vii., ix., x., 01. " Iris dark brown or 

 chocolate ; bill black in adults ; upper dark grey, lower horn-grey in young ; feet 

 brown." (Nos. 90, 185, 258, 305, 375.) 



1 ? ad., Gregani, 10. x. 01. " Bill black." (No. 331.) 



1 ? ad., Degama, 14. v. 02. " Bill black." (No. 438.) 



NOTE ON THE GENERA OF PLOCEIDAE. 



Some modern ornithologists have recognised too many genera of Weaver-birds. 

 Shelley accepted a great number, judging entirely by coloration. Reichenow 

 judiciously united " Hypkanturgm,'" " Melanopteryx" " Symplectes" " Phormo- 

 plectes,'" " Hyperrnegethes? " Xanthophilus" " Otyphantes" " Hypkantornis" and 

 " Sitagra " with Ploceus. In my opinion even " Anaplectes " must be united with 

 Ploceus, and " Sharpia " is only an extremely thin-billed form, as " Pachyphantes " 

 is the thick-billed extreme in Africa. I should not recognise any genera which 

 merely differ in coloration. 



Genera do not exist in nature as such, and they are made for the convenience 

 of students, in order to help us in naming species : to recognise unnecessary genera 

 is therefore obviously increasing our difficulties instead of simplifying them. Genus- 

 splitting is a serious danger to ornithology. 



24. Ploceus rubriceps rubriceps Snndev. 



Ploreus {Hypkantornis) rubriceps, Sundevall, Oef. Vet. Ah. Fiirh. 1850. p. 97 (Limpopo). 



2 <? ad., Barberton, Transvaal, 25. x. 01. Col. Giffard coll. 

 1 <?, 1 ? ad., Zontpans, Transvaal, 12. xi. 1877. 



1 S ad., Mrogoro, Usagara, 24. xi. 1889. Emiu Pasha coll. 

 "Long. tot. 153, rostr. a fronte 15, al. 88, caad. 44, tars. 17 mm. lride rufa, 

 rostro miniato, pedibuB rubellis." 



25. Ploceus rubriceps gurneyi Shell. 



Phu-eus gurmy'i Shelley. This, 1887. p. 17. PI. i. fig. 1 (Caconda). 



The subspecies from Angola (Benguella) differs from P. r. rubriceps as follows : 

 The red of head and foreneck is much darker, the abdomen is less pure white, being 

 washed with grey, the outer edges to the primaries are darker and somewhat orange- 

 yellow. The black patch on the sides of the head, which has been described as a 

 specific character, is not constant, as it is absent in one of onr adult males. 

 Probably it is peculiar to immature specimens only. The red of the throat extends 

 as far down as in P. rubriceps rubriceps. The type, which is so well figured in the 

 Ibis for 1887, is undoubtedly an immature specimen, but nevertheless P. r. gurneyi 

 is a well distinguishable subspecies. 



Dr. Ansorge sent us the following examples of P. r. gurneyi : 

 ? ad., Sources of the Cunene River, 23. ix. 04. Dr. \V. J. Ansorge coll. 

 (No. +77.) 



