Mr. D. G. Elliot on the Gcmis Malimbus. 4G3 



creature the term nuchalis. It is well figured by Fraser in 

 his ' Zoologia Typica/ and by Vieillot in the ' Oiseaux 

 Chanteurs/ 



Adult. Black. Front, top, and back of head, and sides 

 of neck red. Bill and feet black. Total length Q\ inches, 

 wing 3|, tail 2^, tarsus 1, bill 1. 



Specimen in British Museum has the back of head and 

 sides of neck red, all the rest black. This may be a female, 

 or possibly a young male. 



Malimbus nitens. 



Ploceus nitens, J. E. Gray, Zool. Misc. i. p. 6. 



Sycobius nitens, G. R. Gray, Gen. of B. vol. ii. p. 352, 

 pi. 87 ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1869, p. 192. sp. 34 ; Bonap. Consp. 

 Gen. Av. vol. i. p. 439. sp. 16. 



Malimbus nitens, Hartl. Syst. Ornith. W.Afr. (1857) p. 

 153. sp. 401 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Afr. p. 60. sp. 571 ; Shelley 

 & Buckl. Ibis, 1872, p. 289 ; Ussher, Ibis, 1874, p. 68. 

 sp. 132. 



Hab. Sierra Leone [Sabine] ; Aguapim [Riis) ; Gaboon 

 [Verreaiix); Fantee (Sharpe); Abrobouko, Cape-Coast [Us- 

 sher); Gold Coast [Shelley); Rio Boutry [Pel); Cape Palma, 

 Calabar coast [Laurein) Paris Mus. ; river Muni [Du Chaillu) . 



M. nitens was first described by Dr. Gray [I. c). It is 

 peculiar among the members of this genus by the squami- 

 form feathers of the head and neck, resembling somewhat in 

 texture and colour those of the members of the genus Manu- 

 codia. It is a clearly defined species, the black plumage and 

 red pectoral band readily serving to distinguish it from the 

 other birds of this group. Like the rest of the members of 

 this section, it appears to be scattered along the West-African 

 coast from Sierra Leone to the Congo, being nowhere very 

 abundant. There is nothing in its synonymy calling for 

 any especial comment, the species never having received a 

 second appellation. 



Jet black. Pectoral band crimson. Bill black on basal 

 half, remainder yellowish. Feet black. Feathers of head 

 and neck shining purplish black. Total length 5| inches, 

 wing 3|, tail 2f, bill on top f . 



