374' HETERHYPHANTES ' 



Genus XV. HETERHYPHANTES. 



Similar to Sycobrotus in most of its structure ; but the bill, which is 

 black in adults, is generally slightly smaller and shorter ; the nostrils have 

 less or no overhanging membrane. Sexes never alike in plumage, which 

 has always some yellow on the upper parts, including the eyebrows; but 

 the upper surface of the wings and tail are entirely black, a character by 

 which the members of this and the last four genera may be readily distin- 

 guished from all the "Weavers which I include after this genus. 



Type. 



Heterhyphantes, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xiii. p. 414 (1890). H. melanogaster. 



Melanhyphautes, Sharpe, Jameson's Story, Bear 



Column, p. 404 (1890) H. nigricollis. 



Phormoplectes, Eeichen. J. f. 0. 1903, p. 149 . . . H. insignis. 



The genus is confined to West and Central Africa and comprises eight 

 species. It forms a good connecting link between Sycobrotus and Hyphan- 

 turgus, resembling the former in the uniform black of the wings and tail, 

 and Hyplianturgus in the colouring of the sides of the head and the throat, 

 in both sexes of Heterhyphantes nigricollis and Hyphanturgus ocularius. 



Three out of the eight species I recognise are somewhat doubtful form, 

 for H. dorsomaculatus may prove not to be distinct from H. insignis and 

 H. auricomus, an immature example of one of the two. H. malensis is, 

 perhaps, probably not distinct from H. melanoxanthus. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



. Back yellow or partly so ; wings and tail black ; 



breast yellow, 

 a^. Some black on head ; crown chestnut in males, 

 black in female. 



a". Back entirely yellow insignis. '•''■^ 



b-. Yellow of back confined to a central band . . dorsomaculatus. ?/j 



b^. Entire head and neck yellow auricomus. ? ; 5 



. Back entirely black or brown. 



c^. Breast black, portion of head yellow ; chin and 

 throat yellow in females. 



c^. With a yellow crop-band melanogaster, 3' . J' ^7 



d^. Crop black like the throat and breast .... stcpha7iop)hor?is,3' • i'^y 

 rfi. Breast yellow; males with the crown yellow and 

 throat black ; females with the crown black and 

 the throat yellow. 

 e". Back, wings and tail sepia brown nigricollis. ? 'i/ 



