LECTURE V. 



Ami the toes so con>ntnted as to form \\hat \.in- 

 calls n pes gressoriuf or gressorial toot, con- 



f t!'. \\anUand one bickuanU, 



\\ith two of the front* toes joined half u.iy 

 from tin- ha>e. The genus Alcedu or K.inuli>h< -r is 

 mini* TOU>, and remarkably brilliant in point of 

 colour, tli- prevailing ( ast being blue or given, 

 uith dilVereiit of splendor. The only 



European speeirs is the common K-m.^nMicr, one 

 of the most brilliant of all the Knropcan birds. 

 It inhabits the banks of rivulei e it deposit-* 



its eggs. The kingfisher is supposed to be the 

 Alcijnn of the Ancients, but the idea of tin- float- 

 ing nest, uhich tin- ai attributed to their 

 Alevon, will by no means apply to ihi^ bird; 

 though Mich a circumstance n ally takes place in 

 a certain g ; aquatic birds of a very dif- 

 ferent tribe. 



The genus CifCidu.f or Ciiekow i> ol i/ed 



by its slightly curved bill, climbing ti et, and tail 

 composed of ten soft feathers. 



It is a numerous genus, differing greatly 

 in si/e and colours in the diifeivnt >pccies: the 

 only species inhabiting Euro| the common 



Cuckow or Cuculus Canorus of Liniuvus, 



