Alcinæ

pl. (Zool.) A sub-family of birds, fam. Alcide. The gen. Alca, or Auk, forms the type of this group. See AUK. Alcin'ous, king of Pheasia ( Corfu ), entertained and listened to the wonderful adventures of Uly es when shipwrecked on his coast; whence arose the proverb of the Stories of Alcinous for improbability. ALCINOUS, & Platonic philosopher, lived in the 2d century, A. D. He wrote an "Introduction to the Philosophy of Plato," translated into English by Stanley. Al'ciope, n. (Zool.) A gen. of Dorsibranchiate Annel ides, distinguished by having two foliated gills and a couple of bronchial tubercles. Al'ciphron, the most distinguished of the Grecian epistolary writers, flourished probably in the 2d century before Christ. We have 116 fictitious letters by him, which give a curious picture of Grecian manners. Alci'ra, a town of Spain, prov. Valencia, on an island of the Xucar, 25 m. S.S.W. of Valencia. Pop . 13,000. Alck'muar, or ALKMAAR, the chief town in North Holland, 19 m. from Amsterdam. It is the greatest cheese-mart in the world, upward of 4,000 tons of that art. being sold every year. Lat. 52° 38' N.; Lon. 4° 43' E.-In 1573, A. was besieged by the Spaniards, who failed to take it, after persevering for ten years in the attempt. In 1799 it was taken by the British and Ru ian troops under the Duke of York. Alemæ'on, a philosopher of Croton a, and disciple of Pythagoras. He was the first writer on natural philosophy, and believed in the theory that the stars were animated beings. ALCMEON, ( Myth .,) son of Amphiarous and Eriphyle of Argos; chosen chief of the seven Epigoni, in which capacity he took and destroyed Thebes. His father, going to war, charged A. to put to death Eriphyle, who had betrayed him. He did so, and was pursued by the Furies. An oracle informed him that, to escape their vengeance, he must reside in a land which was not in existence wher he was cursed by his mother. He at last found rest, for a short time, on an island in the river Achelous, where he married Callirrhoë, the daughter of the god of the river, after repudiating his former wife, Arsinoë. But he did not long enjoy peace. At the request of his wife, he attempted to recover the fatal necklace of Hermione from his former father-in-law, the priest Phlegeus, who caused him to be murdered by his sons. Alc'man, of Lacedæmon or Sardis, one of the earliest Grecian writers, of whose poems only some fragments remain in different authors. He is said to have been the first writer in amorous poetry. Flourished 672 в. с. Alcma'nian, a . Relating to the lyric poet Alcman. Alcmanian Verse. (Anc. Pros.) A kind of verse con sisting of two dactyls and two trochees. Alcmena. ( Myth .) Daughter of Electryon, king of Argos, and wife of A mph i try on. Jupiter loved her, and deceived her by a uming the form of her husband. From this connection, which continued for 3 nights, sprung Hercules.