MALIMBUS 345 



specimen of this form yet recorded from beyond tlie limits of 

 Beuguela. From G-erman blast Africa typical A. rnbricefs has 

 been procured at Langenburg and Songea (Fulleborn), Ungoni 

 (Booth), Morogoro (Emin), Mbusini (Fischer and Stuhlmann), 

 and the latter naturalist informs us that he found it known 

 to the natives as the " Gongo." 



Genus XI. MALIMBUS. 



Bill moderately long and stout, with the culmen rounded at the base ; 

 nasal orifice exposed and of a horizontal oval form ; chin-angle rounded. 

 Wing rounded ; primaries 1 nearly half the length of 2 ; 2 shorter than 6 ; 

 3, 4 and 5 longest and about equal. Tarsi and feet strong. Plumage black, 

 ■with some red. In adults the bill is black or horny white ; in immature 

 birds both the plumage and bill are browner, and the tarsi and feet some- 

 times brownish flesh-colour. 



Type. 



Malimbus, Vieill. Ois. Chant, p. 71, pi. 42 (1805) ... ill. malimbicus. 



Sycobius, Vieill. Analyse, p. 33 (1816) M. vialimhicus , 



" Ficophagus, Vieill." Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 351 (1849) M. malimhicus. 



Atalocrous, Elliot, Ibis, 1876, p. 458 M. rachelice. 



The genus is confined to Tropical Africa and comprises eight known 

 species. It has been divided into two, and consists really of three equally 

 well-marked groups, which may be readily distinguished by the colour of the 

 under tail-coverts. In one the under tail-coverts are black, in the second 

 they are red, and in the third group they are yellow. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



a. Plumage entirely black and red. 

 rt^. Under tail-coverts black. 



a-. Under parts entirely black ; forehead, in males red, 

 in females black. 



a^. Eed on head more orange scarlet rubricollis. ^' '■- 



h^. Red on head more crimson barthtti. -' t- 



h-. Some red on the throat. 



c^. Sides of head mostly red ; forehead and hind neck, 



in males black, in females red malimbicus. '->' '• 



d^. Sides of head mostly black. 



a*. Crown and entire throat red cassiiii. -^ -"'c 



6*. Entire head and upper throat black .... nitcns. : .,- ; 



