Ploceidse of the Ethiopian Region. 39 



Sycobius nigerrimus, Gray & Mitchell, Gen. B. ii. 1849, 

 p. 352. 



Malimbus nigerrimus, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1871, p. 612. 



Sycobius albinucha, Bocage, Jorn. Lisb. 1876, p. 247, 

 W. Afr. 



Ploceus [Melanopteryx) nigerrimus, Reichen. Zool. Jahrb. 

 Jena, i. 1886, p. 125. 



Hab. W. Africa : from the Congo to the Gold Coast. 



The Gold Coast specimens are apparently always rather 

 small, and have occasionally, but not always, white bases to 

 the feathers of the hind neck ; when these feathers are worn, 

 a -white collar at the back of the neck may sometimes be 

 traced. One of these specimens formed the type of Sycobius 

 albinucha, Bocage. 



22. Malimbus. 



1805. Malimbus, Vieill. Ois. Chant, p. 71, Type. 



pi. 42 M. cristatus. 



1816. Sycobius, Vieill. Analyse, p. 33 . . . M, cristatus. 



1820. Ficophagus, Vieill M. cristatus. 



1876. Atalochrous, Elliot, Ibis, 1876, p. 458 . M. rachelia. 



Key to the Species, 

 a. Under tail-coverts black. 



a'. Entire underparts black 170. M. malimbicus. 



o?. Forehead red M. malimhicus, S • 



h^. Forehead black M. malimbicus, $ . 



h^. Portion of tliroat and front of breast red. 

 c^. Crested. Forehead, space round the 



eye, and chin black 171. M. cristatus. 



d"^. Not crested. 



iF. Forehead, crown, and entire neck 

 red. Upper half of the throat and 



sides of the head black 172. M. cassim. 



e^. Entire head and back half of the 



neck black 173. M. nitens. 



Under tail- coverts orange-red. 

 f^. Upper half of the throat and entire sides 



of the head black 174. M. sctdatus. 



f^. With the entire crown, back, and 



sides of the neck scarlet M, scutatus, J . 



