ὄρνις gen. ὄρνῑθος; acc. ὄρνιθα and ὄρνιν as if from ὄρνιξ a bird, Hom., etc.; often added to the specific names, ὄρνισιν ἐοικότες αἰγυπιοῖσιν Il.; λάρῳ ὄρνιθι ἐοικώς Od.; ὄ. ἀηδών, πέρδιξ Soph.; ὄ. ἁλκυών, ὄ. κύκνος Eur. like οἰωνός, a bird of omen, from the flight or cries of which the augur divined, Hom., Soph. metaph., like Lat. avis for augurium, the omen or prophecy taken from the flight or cries of birds, Hom., etc.:—then, generally, an omen, presage, without direct reference to birds, Il. in Attic, ὄρνις, is mostly a cock, ὄρνις, ἡ, a hen, Soph., Ar., etc. in pl. sometimes the bird-market, Ar., Dem. Μοισᾶν ὄρνιθες birds of the Muses, i. e. Poets, Theocr.:— proverb., ὀρνίθων γάλα "pigeonʼs milk, " i. e. any marvellous dainty or good fortune, Ar.