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



Malimbus nigerrimus. 



Ploceus nigerrimus, Vieill. Enc. Meth. p. 700 ; id. Nouv. 

 Diet. d'Hist. Nat. (1819) vol. 34. p. 130; Ilartl. Jouru. fur 

 Ornith. 1854, p. 411. 



Sycohius nif/errimus, Hartl. Syst. Ornith. W.Afr. (1857) 

 p. 133. sp. 402 ; Gray, Gen. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 352 ; Bonap. 

 Consp. Gen. Av. vol. i. p. 439. sp. 7. 



Ploceus niger, Swains. Menag. p. 306 (1838). 



Malimbus nigerrimus, Sharpe, Cat. Afr. Birds, p. 60. sp. 

 574; id. Ibis, 1872, p. 72. sp. 250; Ussher, Ibis, 1874, p. 

 68. sp. 134. 



Hab. Cape Lopez ( Verreaux) ; Gaboon [Du Chaillu) ; An- 

 gola {Perrein) ; Fantee, scarce ( Ussher) . 



Ploceus nigerrimus of Yieillot (/. c.) is the only species 

 of Malimbus which has a plumage of one uniform colour, un- 

 relieved by the crimson and orange which render its relatives 

 so conspicuous and attractive. It is apparently distributed 

 along the African, coast from Fantee to Angola, as it has been 

 obtained at various points between these districts. 



The adult of this species has the entire plumage jet-black. 

 Total length 9^ inches, wing 2>\, tail 3, bill along culmen f . 



Young. Head and back dark olive-brown, each feather with 

 a central line of black. Rump rufous brown. Cheeks, throat, 

 and upper part of breast and flanks olive-yellow ; rest of under- 

 parts bright yellow. Under tail-coverts dark buff. Wings 

 and tail dark purplish brown. Edges of secondaries yellow. 

 Total length 6^ inches, wing 3j, tail 3^, bill on culmen f . 



Atalochrous. 



Malimbus racheli^e. 



Sycobius rachelice, Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Scien. Phil. 

 1857, p. 36; id. Journ. Ac. Nat. Sc. Phil. 1862, pi. 23. 

 fig. 3; Hartl. Syst. Ornith. W.Afr. p. 265. sp. 749. 



Malimbus rachelia, Sharpe, Cat. Afr. Birds, p. 60. sp. 575. 



Hab. Biver Muni [Du Chaillu); Gaboon [Walker). 



This, the handsomest species of Malimbus, was first de- 

 scribed by Mr. Cassin (/. c.) from specimens obtained by Du 

 Chaillu on the river Muni. It is quite difl'erent in the ar- 



