LECTURE V. 183 



and the toes so constituted as to form what Lin- 

 n^iis calls a pes gressorms or gressorial foot, con- 

 sisting of three toes forwards and one backwards, 

 but with two of the front-toes joined half way 

 from the base. The genus Alcedo or Kingfisher is 

 numerous, and remarkably brilliant in point of 

 colour, the prevailing cast being blue or green, 

 with different degrees of splendor. The only 

 European species is the common Kingfisher, one 

 of the most brilliant of all the European birds. 

 It inhabits the banks of rivulets, where it deposits 

 its eggs. The Kingfisher is supposed to be the 

 Alcyon of the Ancients, but the idea of the float- 

 ing nest, which the ancients attributed to their 

 Alcyon, will by no means apply to this bird; 

 though such a circumstance really takes place in 

 a certain genus of aquatic birds of a very dif- 

 ferent tribe. 



The genus Cuculus or Cuckow is characterized 

 by its slightly curved bill, climbing feet, and tail 

 composed of ten soft feathers. 



It is a numerous genus, differing greatly 

 in size and colours in the different species : the 

 only species inhabiting Europe is the common 

 Cuckow or Cuculus Canorus of Linnaeus, so well 



