Malachite kingfisher Malachite kingfisher The malachite kingfisher ("Corythornis cristatus") is a river kingfisher which is widely distributed in Africa south of the Sahara. It is largely resident except for seasonal climate-related movements. The malachite kingfisher was described by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas in 1764 and given the binomial name "Alcedo cristata". The specific epithet "cristata" is from the Latin "cristatus" meaning "crested" or "plumed". The adjective "malachite" in the vernacular name normally refers to the dark green colour of the copper containing mineral. This kingfisher has blue upperparts but has black banding with pale blue or greenish-blue on its forehead.
The Malachite Box have fallen in love with the Ural's old storyteller P. Bazhov". Selected stories have been a part of school core curriculum since the Soviet Union, and are still used for education purposes nowadays. The Ministry of Education and Science of Russia included the tales in their 2013 list of "100 Recommended Books" for schoolchildren. Their effective pedagogical influence have been noted. "The Malachite Box" became a classic of Soviet children's literature, yet the stories continued to be popular among adults as well. Mark Lipovetsky believed the situation in the author's life added to the depth of the tales and made