ALC 



ALC 



sparrow; its plumage is painted with 

 blu.- and green, and lightly tinged with 

 purple; these colours art- not distinct, 

 but melted tog-ether, and shining- vari- 

 ously over the whole body, the wings, 

 and the neck; its bill is yellowish, long, 

 and slender. The habits of these hirds 

 mble one another. The alcyon 

 itary and pensive ; and the kings- 

 fisher is almost always seen alone, and 

 MI is of short duration. 

 i-rtier was not only an inhabitant of 

 .-shore, hut haunted the banks of 

 rivers ; and the latter has also been found 

 to seek shell-fish and large worms, that 

 abound on the shore of the sea, and in 

 rivulets that How into it. The alcyon 

 was seldom seen, and rapid in its flight ; 

 it wheeled swiftly round ships, and in- 

 stantly retired into its little grot on the 

 shore. The same charucter belongs aNo 

 to tin- kingsfisher. The alcyon and the. 

 kingsfishc r huve the same mode of taking 

 their prey, by diving vertically upon it. 

 Tin- kingsfisher isthe most beautiful bird 

 in our climates, as to the rirhm .>< an 1 

 luxuriance- of the colours of its plumage. 

 It has, says BuflTon, all the shades of the 

 rainbow, the brilliancy of enamel, and 

 the glossy softness of silk ; and (iesner 

 compares the glowing yellow red, which 

 colours the breast, to the red glare of a 

 burning coal ; and yet the kingsfisher has 

 strayed from those climates, where its re- 

 splendent and glowing colours would ap- 

 pear to the greatest advantage. There 

 is a species that is common in all the 

 islands of the South Sea; and Foreter, 

 in his observations on Captain Cook's se- 

 cond \oyage, has remarked, that its plu- 

 mage is much more brilliant between the 

 tropics than in the regions situated be- 

 yond the temperate zone, in New Zea- 

 land. In the language of the Society 

 Islands, the kingsfisher is called Erooro, 

 and at Otaheite it is accounted sacred, 

 and not allowed to be taken or killed. 

 Kingfishers were found, not only at Ota- 

 heite, but in Huaheinc and I'lietea, and 

 iu the islands that are scattered over the 

 South Sea, though they are more than 

 1500 leagues distant from any continent. 

 Thvse kini^slisliers are of a doll green, 

 with a collar of the same about their 

 neck. The islanders entertain a super- 

 stitious veneration for them. The chief 

 intreated Capt. Cook's com- 

 f.auions, in a very serious tone, to -.pare 

 the kingsnshera and hen. us of his island, 

 giving permission to kill all the other 

 birds. There are 20 species in Africa 

 -vijd Asia, and eight more that are known 



in the warm parts of America, The Eu- 

 ropean kingsfish( r is scattered through 

 Asia and Africa : many of 

 from China and Egypt are found to be 

 the same with ours, and Ik-Ion has met 

 with them in Greece and in Thrace. This 

 brid, though it derives its origin from the 

 hottest climates, bears the rigour of our 

 seasons. It is seen in the winter along 

 the brooks, diving under the ice, and 

 emerging with its prey. The Ger.n.ins 

 \ ogel, or ice-bird ; and 

 it has been found even among the Tar- 

 tars and Siberians. The Tartars andOs- 

 tiacs use the feathers of these birds for 

 many superstitious purposes. The for- 

 mer use them as love unmlets; pretend- 

 ing that those which float on water will 

 induce a woman who is touched with them 

 to fall in love with the person who thus 

 applies it. The Ostiacs take the skin, 

 the bill, and the claws of this bird, and 

 enclose them in a purse ; ami whi! 

 preserve this amulet, they think they have 

 no ill to fear. Credulity has admitted and 

 reported many other similar tales con- 

 cerning the extraordinary powers and 

 virtues of this bird; but it is > 

 recite them. Its flesh has die odotir of 

 musk, and is unpalatable. Plate II. AveSj 

 fig. 4. 



ALCHEMY, that branch of chemistry, 

 which had for its principal objects' the 

 transmutation of all the metal* into gold ; 

 the panacea, or universal remedy for all 

 diseases ; and the alkahest, or universal 

 menstruum. Those who pursued these 

 delusive projects gradually assumed the- 

 form of a sect, under the name of Alche- 

 mists, a term made up of the word che- 

 mist, and the Arabian article al as a pre- 

 fix. The alchemists laid it down as a first 

 principle, that all metals are compost d of 

 the same ingredients, or that the sub- 

 stances at least which compose gold ex- 

 ist in all metals, and arc capable of being 

 obtained from them. The great of. 

 their researches was, to convert the baser 

 metals into gold. The substance which 

 produced tins property they called Infiix 

 philosofthorum, " the philosopher's stone;" 

 and many of them boasted that the\ were 

 in possession of that grand instrument 

 The alchemists were established in the 

 west of Europe as early as the ninth ceiu 

 tury ; but between the eleventh and fif- 

 teenth alchemy was in its most flourishing 

 state. The princin 



bcrtus Magnus, H<r;\r Hacon, Arnoldus 

 de Villa Nova, II. . ily, ai*l the 



two Isaacs of Holland. 



\! ' 'IINfll I \. r VriK *ti.l.. III. 



