330 KINGFISHER. Class II. 



tions in the east, and allows, that the halcyon 

 sometimes ascended rivers ;* possibly to breed, 

 for we learn from Zinanni, that in his soft cli- 

 mate, Italy, it breeds in May, in banks of 

 streams that are near the sea; and having brought 

 up the first hatch, returns to the same place to 

 lay a second time. 



On the foundation laid by the philosopher, 

 succeeding writers formed other tales extremely 

 absurd, and the poets, indulging the powers of 

 imagination, dressed the story in all the robes of 

 romance. This nest was a floating one ; 



Incubat halcyone pendentibus asquore nidis.-f 



it was therefore necessary to place it in a tran- 

 quil sea, and to supply the bird with charms to 

 allay the fury of a turbulent element during the 

 time of its incubation ; for it had, at that sea- 

 son, power over the seas and the winds. 



X' dKxvoves <rT'og£<revvri rd v.v^a.ra, "rtjv re SaAacrcrav, 

 ToV re volov, tov t* supov, o$ tv/o.'ta, <pvKia, kivsi' 

 'AKxvovss, yKa.vn.ous Nr^r/uri ra.\ rs poiKitrra, 

 Ogv'&cuv k<plKaJ$sv. Theocrit. Idyl. vii. 1. 57. 



May Halcyons smooth the waves, and calm the seas, 

 And the rough south-east sink into a breeze ; 

 Halcyons of all the birds that haunt the main, 

 Most lov'd and honor'd by the Nereid train. 



Fawhes. 



* Avafiulvsi h ts sir) res Hota^ss • Hist. an. 1050. 

 f Ovid. Met. lib. xi. 



