460 Mr. JD. G. Elliot on the Gems Malimbus. 
as the female. In the ‘ Analyse/ where he changed the name 
of the genus to Sycobius , he gives no Latin name to the 
species, but calls it the Malimbe huppe ; and in the ‘Nou¬ 
veau Dictionnaire/ three years afterwards, he places it in the 
genus Ploceus. 
The young do not much resemble the adults in plumage, 
and might not unnaturally be deemed to belong to different 
species. 
Prof. Boccage (/. c.), describes a specimen of this genus 
from Bio Quito, Cabinda, which is evidently, as he states, 
in immature plumage. Judging from his description, I am 
inclined to think it is one of the phases of plumage assumed 
at a certain age by the young of this species. 
Male. Black. Head crested. Cheeks, throat, top of head 
and crest, and upper part of breast bright red. Bill and feet 
black. Total length 7 inches, wing 3J, tail 3, bill 
Female. Head not crested. Smaller than the male, dusky 
black, beneath fuliginous. Bill flesh-colour. 
Young. No crest. Top of head, nape, side of neck, throat, 
and breast crimson. Front and rest of plumage black. 
Still younger . Head and neck and upper part of breast 
light red, forehead blackish. Wings and back light purplish 
brown. Underneath light greyish brown. Bill light brown. 
Ficophagus. 
Malimbus scutatus. 
Sycobius scutatus , Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Phil. 1849, 
p. 157; id. Journ. Acad. Nat. Sc. Phil. vol. i. p. 297, pi. 41. 
figs. 1, 2, S $; Hartl. Syst. Ornith. W.Afr. p. 132. sp. 400; 
Sharpe, Ibis, 1870, p. 472, 1869, p. 191. sp. 32; Bonap. 
Consp. Gen. Av. vol. i. p. 439. sp. 5. 
Malimbus scutatus , Sharpe, Cat. Afr. Birds, p. 60. sp. 573; 
Ussher, Ibis, 1874, p. 68. sp. 133. 
Hab. Fantee ( Sharpe ); Denkera, Gold Coast ( Ussher ) ; 
Bio Boutry (Pel) ; Sierra Leone ( MacDowell ); river Muni 
(Du Chaillu ). 
This handsome species was described by Cassin as long 
ago as 1849, in the c Proceedings ’ of the Philadelphia Aca- 
