362 MELANOPTERYX KIGERRIMA 



Type. 

 Melanopteryx, Eeichen. Zool. Jahrb. 1886, p. 125 . . . J/, nujcrnma. 

 The genus is coutined to West Africa and Equatorial Central Africa 

 and comprises three species. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



a. No white bases to any of the feathers. 



ii}. Larger, wing 3-3 ; tarsi and feet pale brown nigerrima. 



a-. General plumage black J . 



h'-. Plumage olive, browner above, yellower beneath . . 2 . 



b^. Smaller, wing 2-9 ; tarsi and feet dark brown maxwclli. 



h. With pure white bases to many of the feathers, showing 



mostly on the hind neck ; wing 3'1 albiiiucha. 



Melanopteryx nigerrima. 



Ploceus nigerrimus, Vieill. N. Diet, xxxiv. p. 130 (1819) Congo ; Eeichen. 

 Yog. Afr. iii. p._5U (190i pt.). 



Melanopteryx nigerrima, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 176 (1890) ; Shelley, 

 B. Afr. I. Mo. 491 (1896). 



Ploceus niger, Swaius. An. in Menag. p. 306 (1838). 



Adult male. Jet black, with the wings slightly browner ; under wing- 

 coverts and inner edges of the quills a little lighter ; base of the feathers 

 of the hind neck grey. "Iris yellow; bill black; tarsi and feet brownish 

 liesh-colour " (Keichenow). Total length 7 inches, culmen 0-8, wing 3'3, 

 tail 2-1, tarsus 0-85. J , 2. 10. 93, Yambuya (Jameson). 



Adult female. Upper parts brownish olive, with blackish centres to the 

 feathers of the hinder crown, neck and mantle, much broader on the latter; 

 lower back and upper tail-coverts more uniform brownish olive, with a few 

 narrow blackish terminal edges to the feathers ; tail sepia brown, with 

 a mere trace of olive edges to the feathers ; wing sepia brown, with the 

 edges of the inner secondaries, greater and median coverts brownish buff, 

 and inclining to olive on the lesser coverts ; under surface of wing, with 

 the inner edges of the quills ashy white, and the coverts buff, with pale 

 brown centres to many of the feathers ; sides of head and entire under parts 

 yellow, shaded with brownish olive on the ear-coverts, sides of throat and 

 the flanks. " Iris pale brown ; bill greyish brown ; tarsi and feet dirty 

 flesh-colour " (Eeichenow). Total length 6-2 inches, wing 33. ? , Gaboon 

 (Du Chaillu). 



Vieiliot's Black Weaver ranges over West Africa from 

 Camaroous iuto Angola and eastward to Kavirondo. 



