Genus — L C Y 0 N E . 
Alcyone Swainson, Classif. Birds, Vol. II., p. 336, 1837 
(July) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Type A. azurea. 
Also spelt — 
Halcyone Agassiz, Index Univers., p; 491, 1848. 
Medium Alcedinine birds, with very long bills, long wings, very short tails, 
and small feet, with three toes only. 
The bill is very long, straight and pointed, compressed laterally, tips 
succeeded by slight notch, mandibular edges entire. The culmen ridge 
distinct, flattened, separated by an obscure groove from the laterals, which 
are steep but slightly outcurving. The lower mandible of similar formation 
throughout. The nostrils appear as horizontal slits, situated at base of bill 
midway between culmen ridge and lower edges of upper mandible. 
The tail is square and very short, less than half the length of the wing, 
and almost hidden by upper tail-coverts. 
The legs and feet are very small. The tarsus is very short, the podotheca 
complete, no scutes or reticulation being present. 
There are three toes only ; the two fore toes being connected, all save 
the first joint, the outer toe shorter than the other, which is the middle toe, 
the inner toe bemg missing : the hind toe is comparatively long : claws long 
and curved, but not pectinate at all. 
The genus Alcyone was proposed by Swainson for the Australian King- 
fisher azurea, which was similar to the European Alcedo but had only three 
toes. Ceyx of Lacepede he placed as a subgenus of Halcyon, writing: “Bill 
and general structure of Dacelo ; but the inner fore toe is wanting.” Obs. 
“ This type I have never seen.” I have not yet traced who was the 
responsible systematist in the perpetuation of such a classification, but it 
seems that G. R. Gray accepted Swainson’s classification, and, further, that 
he separated the above into different subfamilies. Thus he placed the genus 
Ceyx in the subfamily Halcyonince, and the genus Alcyone in the subfamily 
Alcedinince. Bonaparte, in the “ Conspectus,” used the subfamily name 
Dacelonince, according to priority, and therein placed the genus Ceyx, naming 
as species tridactyla L., purpurea Gm., rufidorsa Stricldand, melanura Kaup, 
and lepida Temm. In the subfamily Alcedinidce he recognised the genus 
Alcyone, with the species solitaria Temm., pusilla Temm., cyanipectus Lafr. and 
azurea Lath. The three former had been described as species of Ceyx. 
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