462 Mr. D. G. Elliot on the Genus Malimbus. 



Eupledes rufovelatus, Fras. P. Z. S. J 842, p. 112; id. Zool. 

 Typica, pi. 46 ; Sliarpe, Ibis, 1870, p. 472. 



Sycoblus malimbus, Hartl. Syn. Ornith. W.Afr. (1857) 

 p. 130. sp. 399 ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1870, p. 472 ; Bonap. Consp. 

 Gen. Av. vol. i. p. 438. sp. 2. 



Tanagra malimbica, Daudin, Ann. du Mas. i. p. 148, 

 pi. 10. fig. 2,2 (1802). 



Malimbus rufovelatus , Sharpe, Cat. Afr. Birds, p. G0.sp.570; 

 Ussher, Ibis, 1874, p. 68. sp. 131. 



Sycobius nuchalis, Elliot, Ibis, 1859, p. 393 ; Sharpe, Ibis, 

 1869, p. 191, 1870, p. 472. 



Hab. Denkera, Gold Coast (UssAer); Fernando Po (F/'a^e?-); 

 ^' Gaboon [DuChaillu); Congo {Perrein) ; Fantee {Sharpe). 



Several authors liave endeavoured to confer a name on this 

 species. I have had a shot at it myself, and, like the majority, 

 have been unsuccessful. As well as I can make it out, the 

 case stands as follows : — It was mistaken by both Daudin and 

 Vieillot for the female of the species called by the latter 

 writer Malimbus cristatus. It is undoubtedly the bird de- 

 scribed by Temminck in his Catalogue (/. c.) as from the Congo ; 

 but he does not confer any Latin name upon it. He states 

 that the female has the entire plumage a brownish black. 

 This is the only mention of the female I have met with. 

 Somewhere about this time, as given by writers generally, 

 Temminck calls the species Textor malimbus ; but, so far as I 

 am concerned, this name cannot stand, for two reasons. One 

 is that I have been unable to find it published anywhere by 

 Temminck, and suppose his name is merely a manuscript one 

 in the Leyden Museum, and therefore not to be considered; 

 and another is that his term is a repetition of the name of 

 the genus to which the bird belongs, and therefore could not 

 be used, even if I should find it, on account of its liability 

 to create confusion. Temminck seems therefore to be out 

 of this question entirely. Swainson, in his 'Menagerie,' in 

 1838, regularly described the species and called it Ploceus 

 rubricollis ; and by this specific name the bird should hereafter 

 be known. In 1812 Fra&er {I.e.) gave to it the name of 

 rufovelatus; and in 1859 I bestowed upon the unfortunate 



