The Key to Scientific Names
- Euploceus
(Ploceidae; syn. Ploceus † Cape Weaver P. capensis) Gr. ευ eu fine, good; genus Ploceus Cuvier 1816, weaver; "EUPLOCEUS subg. nov., type Oriolus capensis L., resembles the preceding [Xanthoplectes] in colour characters, but differs very markedly in its very long and pointed bill, which arches only very slightly on the culmen, longer than the outermost primary and often as long as the tarsus; the tail is normally less than two-thirds of the length of the wing, and the outermost primary less than a third of the length of the second primary. Two subspecies have so far been recognised, the typical one in the southern region and another over the rest of the temperate part of South Africa. "Ploceus" princeps of Princes Island would seem to belong to the same subgenus, though I have not had a specimen for comparison." (A. Roberts 1922); "Euploceus A. Roberts, 1922, Annals Transvaal Mus., VIII (4), p. 271. Type by original designation, Oriolus capensis Linnaeus, 1766." (JAJ 2020).
- Melanoploceus
(Ploceidae; syn. Ploceus † Yellow-mantled Weaver P. tricolor) Gr. μελας melas, μελανος melanos black; genus Ploceus Cuvier 1816, weaver; "(10) Melanoploceus, gen. nov., genotype Hyphantornis tricolor Hartlaub, J. f. O. 1854, p. 110. The male of Melanoploceus tricolor could well be placed in the genus Ploceus as it is very close in general appearance to the male of Ploceus castaneofuscus, but the female is similar to the male, being merely paler chestnut below, and the female of the race M. t. interscapularis Reichenow has the underside wholly dusky black. This precludes us from placing it in any of the genera so far mentioned, and compels us to create a new genus for this Weaver." (Mackworth-Praed & Grant 1946); "Melanoploceus Mackworth-Praed and Grant, 1946, Ibis, p. 228. Type, by original designation, Hyphantornis tricolor Hartlaub, 1854." (JAJ 2021).
- Microploceus
(Ploceidae; syn. Ploceus † African Masked Weaver P. velatus) Gr. μικρος mikros little; genus Ploceus Cuvier, 1816, weaver; doubtless a lapsus for Microplectes A. Roberts, 1922; "subg. Microploceus Rbts. - velatus Vieill." (A. Roberts 1924).
- PLOCEUS
(Ploceidae; Ϯ Baya Weaver P. philippinus) Gr. πλοκευς plokeus weaver < πλεκω plekō to plait, to entwine; "LES TISSERINS. (PLOCEUS. Cuv.) (2). A bec assez grand pour les avoir fait en partie classer parmi les cassiques; mais sa commissure droite les en distingue. Ils ont de plus la mandibule supérieure légèrement bombée. On en trouve dans les deux continens. La plupart de ceux de l'ancien font leur nid avec beaucoup d'art, en entrelaçant des brins d'herbes, ce qui les a fait nommer TISSERINS. Tel est le Toucnam-Courvi des Philippines. (Loxia Philippina. Lin.) Enl. 135. Jaune tacheté de brun, à gorge noire. Son nid, suspendu, est en forme de boule, avec un canal vertical, et ouvert en dessous, qui communique par le côté dans la cavité où sont les petits (1). Quelques-uns rapprochent leurs nids en grande quantité, pour en former un seule masse à plusieurs compartimens. Tel est le Républicain. (Loxia socia. Lath.) Paterson. Voy. pl. 19. ... (2) Πλοκευς, tisserand. ... (1) Ajoutez le capmore, Buff. (Oriolus textor, Gm.), enl. 375 et 376. — Fringilla erythrocephala, enl. 665. — Le prétendu tangara de malimbe, Daud. An. Mus. I, p. 148, pl. x. — Le baglafecht. (Lox. Abyssinica.) — Le nélicourvi (lox. pensilis), Sonn., 2e Voy. pl. 109." (Cuvier 1816); "Ploceus Cuvier, 1817, Règne Anim., 1, p. 383. Type, by subsequent designation, Loxia philippina Linnaeus (Gray, 1840, List Gen. Birds, p. 42)." (Moreau in Peters, 1962, XV, p. 32). Recent work indicates that the African and Malagasy members of this genus should be included in Malimbus.
Var. Ploceys, Plocus.
Synon. Agelaius, Bensonhyphantes, Cinnamopteryx, Deignaniplectes, Deleplectes, Dendrhyphantes, Eremiphantes, Eremiplectes, Euploceus, Eupodes, Heterhyphantes, Hypermegethes, Hyphantes, Hyphantornis, Hyphanturgus, Hypositagra, Icteropsis, Melanhyphantes, Melanoploceus, Melanopteryx, Microplectes, Microploceus, Nelicurvius, Notiospiza, Oriolinops, Oriolinus, Othyphantes, Parvus, Phormoplectes, Plesiositagra, Ploceella, Ploceolus, Rhinoploceus, Saka, Sharpia, Sitagra, Sitagroides, Sycobrotus, Symplectes, Textor, Thomasophantes, Xanthophilus, Xanthoplectes, Xanthoploceus.-
Ploceuspasser (See: PLOCEPASSER)
PLOCEPASSER (Ploceidae; Ϯ White-browed Sparrow Weaver P. mahali) Portmanteau of genera Ploceus Cuvier 1816, weaver, and Passer Brisson 1760, sparrow; "Sub-genus PLOCEPASSER.* Bill conical, pointed; culmen arched and entering between feathers of forehead; edges of upper mandible slightly waved; nostrils basal, rounded, and open; rictus slightly bristled; wings rather long, third and fourth quills equal; tail slightly rounded; tarsi moderate, outer and inner toes of equal length; claws slightly curved and rather blunt. Plocepasser Mahali. ... Inhabits the country between the Orange River and the Tropic. ... * The Ploceus superciliosus, of Ruppel, may perhaps belong to this group." (A. Smith 1836); "Plocepasser A. Smith, 1836, Rep. Exped. Cent. Africa, p. 51. Type, by monotypy, P. mahali A. Smith." (Moreau in Peters, 1962, XV, p. 5).
Var. Ploceopasser, Ploceipasser, Ploceuspasser.
Synon. Agrophilus, Fullerellus, Leucophrys, Philagrus.- Rhinoploceus
(Ploceidae; syn. Ploceus † Yellow-legged Weaver P. flavipes) Gr. ῥις rhis, ῥινος rhinos nostrils; πλοκευς plokeus weaver < πλεκω plekō to plait; “nostrils perfectly visible, not hidden by feathers ... very large, open and exposing a peculiar turbinal tubercle” (Gyldenstolpe 1924); "Rhinoploceus Gyldenstolpe, K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handl. (3) 1, no. 3, p. 35, 1924. Type by original designation, Malimbus flavipes Chapin." (W. Sclater, 1930, Syst. Av. Aethiop., II, p. 753). It has been suggested that the poorly known Yellow-legged Weaver, formerly included in Malimbus, is a hybrid between two all-black Ploceus species.
- Xanthoploceus
(Ploceidae; syn. Ploceus † Bertram's Weaver P. bertrandi) Gr. ξανθος xanthos yellow; genus Ploceus Cuvier 1816, weaver; "(9) Xanthoploceus, gen. nov., genotype Hyphantornis bertrandi Shelley, Ibis, 1893, p. 23, pl. ii. It is remarkable how close in general character the female of Xanthoploceus bertrandi is to the male of Icteropsis pelzelni, but as the female of the latter has no black on the head we do not think these two species can be placed in the same genus, and as Xanthoploceus bertrandi does not naturally fit into any of the genera given above under group B, we are compelled to create a new genus for this Weaver." (Mackworth-Praed & Grant 1946); "Xanthoploceus Mackworth-Praed and Grant, 1946, Ibis, p. 228. Type, by original designation, Hyphantornis bertrandi Shelley, 1893." (JAJ 2021).