S?8 KINGFISHER. Class II. 



in the banks of rivers, chiefly those which be- 

 fore belonged to the water rat ; in these the fe- 

 male lays from five to nine eggs,* of a most 

 beautiful semi-transparent white. The nest is 

 very fetid, by reason of the remains of the fish 

 brought to feed the young. 



This species is the dxxvuvaipcuvog, or mute hal- 

 cyon of Aristotle,^ which he describes with more 

 precision than is usual with that great philoso- 

 pher. After his description of the bird, follows 

 that of its nest, than which the most inventive 

 of the antients have delivered nothing that ap- 

 pears at first sight more fabulous and extra- 

 Nest. vagant. He relates, that it resembled those 

 concretions that are formed by the sea- 

 water; that it resembled the long necked 

 gourd, that it was hollow within, that the en- 

 trance was very narrow, so that should it 

 overset the water could not enter; that it re- 

 sisted any violence from iron, but could be broke 

 with a blow of the hand ; and that it was com- 

 posed of the bones of the Bsxovr, or sea-needle. £ 

 The nest had medical virtues ascribed to it; 

 and from the bird was called Halcyoneum. In 



* Gesner says he found nine young in one nest. 



f Hist. an. 892. 1050. 



I 1050. See also JElian. lib. ix. c. 17. Plin. lib. x. c. 32. 



