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464 Mr. D. G. Elliot on the Genus Malimbus. 
Ma.iMBUS NIGERRIMUS. 
Ploceus nigerrimus, Vieill. Enc. Méth. p. 700; id. Nouv. 
Dict. d’Hist. Nat. (1819) vol. 34. p. 180; Hartl. Journ. fur 
Ornith. 1854, p. 411. 
Sycobius nigerrimus, Hartl. Syst. Ornith. W.Afr. (1857) 
p. 183. sp. 402; Gray, Gen. of Birds, vol. 11. p. 352; Bonap. 
Consp. Gen. Av. vol. i. p. 439. sp. 7. 
Ploceus niger, Swains. Menag. p. 306 (1838). 
Malimbus nigerrimus, Sharpe, Cat. Afr. Birds, p. 60. sp. 
574; id. Ibis, 1872, p. 72. sp. 250; Ussher, Ibis, 1874, p. 
68. sp. 184. 
Hab. Cape Lopez (Verreaux); Gaboon (Du Chaillu); An- 
gola (Perrein); Fantee, scarce (Ussher). 
Ploceus nigerrimus of Vieillot (J. c.) is the only species 
of Malimbus which has a plumage of one uniform colour, un- 
relieved by the crimson and orange which render its relatives 
so conspicuous and attractive. It is apparently distributed 
along the African coast from Fantee to Angola, as it has been 
obtained at various points between these districts. 
The adult of this species has the entire plumage jet-black. 
Total length 94 inches, wing 33, tail 3, bill along culmen #. 
Young. Head and back dark olive-brown, each feather with 
a central line of black. Rumprufous brown. Cheeks, throat, 
and upper part of breast and flanks olive-yellow ; rest of under- 
parts bright yellow. Under tail-coverts dark buff. Wings 
and tail dark purplish brown. Edges of secondaries yellow. 
Total length 64 inches, wing 34, tail 34, bill on culmen #. 
ATALOCHROUS. 
Ma.iMBUS RACHELIA. 
Sycobius rachelie, Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Scien. Phil. 
1857, p. 386; id. Journ. Ac. Nat. Sc. Phil. 1862, pl. 28. 
fig. 3; Hartl. Syst. Ornith. W.Afr. p. 265. sp. 749. 
Malimbus rachelie, Sharpe, Cat. Afr. Birds, p. 60. sp. 575. 
Hab. River Muni (Du Chaillu); Gaboon (Walker). 
This, the handsomest species of Malimbus, was first de- 
scribed by Mr. Cassin (J. ¢.) from specimens obtained by Du 
Chaillu on the river Muni. It is quite different in the ar- 




