Mr. D. G. Elliot on the Genus Malimbus. 465 



rangement of its colours from all the species of this genus ; 

 and in the way the bright hues of the breast extend to the 

 flanks it resembles somewhat the species of Euplectes. The 

 two examples in the Academy of Natural Sciences at Phila- 

 delphia, and one in Mr. Sharpens collection, are, I believe, 

 the only ones of this beautiful bird that have as yet been 

 obtained. It constitutes the subgenus Atalochrous, accord- 

 ing to the manner in which I have divided this group of 

 birds. 



Male. Top of head bright reddish orange, growing paler 

 on sides of neck. Throat and cheeks black. Neck in front 

 and breast orange-red, changing into bright yellow on the 

 sides. Upper part of body, wings, tail, and abdomen black. 

 Under tail-coverts yellow ; under wing-coverts black. Bill 

 bluish black; feet paler. Total length 5| inches, wing 3^, 

 tail 2. 



Young male. Similar to the male, but the plumage less 

 bright, and the reddish orange of the crown mixed with black. 



Anaplectes. 



Malimbus melanotis. 



Ploceus melanotis, Lafr. Rev. de Zool. 1839, p. 20; id. 

 Mag. de Zool. 1839, pi. 7; Hartl. Syst. Ornith. W.Afr. 

 (1857) p. 133. 



Hyphantorms erythrocephalus , Riipp. Syst. Uebers. Vog. 

 Nord-Ost-Afr. p. 71 ; Gray, Gen. Birds, p. 351. 



Sycobius melanotis, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. vol. i. p. 438. 

 sp. 3; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. E.Ind. Co. (1856-58) p. 520. 

 sp. 790. 



Ploceus pyrrhocephalus , Heugl. Journ. fiir Ornith. 1864, 

 pp. 247, 272, 273. 



Ploceus hamatocephalus, P. Wiirt. Naumannia, 1857, p. 433. 



Hab. Senegal {Lafresnaye) ; Gambia [Lesson) ; Casamanze 

 (Verreaux) ; Abyssinia [Horsfield ^ Moore) . 



The present rare bird is peculiar amongst this group by 

 departing from the usual style of plumage, and, instead of 

 possessing black and red colours, takes almost the other ex- 

 treme and presents itself to us in a grey and red dress, be- 



