A variant spelling of the headword exists, with accent on the penult, but the sense is dubious in either case (see Cunliffe, p. 273 and LSJ s.v. μόρφνος, -ὁ ). The lemma and glosses (see n. 1-2) are evidently extracted from Homer, Iliad 24.316 (web address 1) and its scholia, where the masculine accusative singular form of the headword, μόρφνον (dusky), appears as an epithet of the eagle; cf. mu 1268 and Richardson, p. 305. As a substantive, though, the headword occurs at Aristotle, History of Animals 618b26. The change in accentuation from penult to ultima may indicate a change from adjective to substantive, respectively, in the word's usage (Chantraine s.v. μόρφνος ).
[1] For the masculine accusative singular form of the headword, Photius' Lexicon, Lexica Segueriana 303.22, the Synagoge, Hesychius, and a scholion to Homer, Iliad 24.316 (see above) all provide the same gloss; cf. Etymologicum Magnum 591.16 (Kallierges).
[2] cf. (e.g.) the scholia to Homer, Iliad 24.316 (above) and Etymologicum Magnum 591.22 (Kallierges). The term μορόφονος occurs only in the explanations of this passage.
[3] The Suda appears to associate the ominous bird with a carrion eater; however, the reference at Homer, Iliad 24.316 (see above) is to a bird that is a μόρφνον θηρητῆρα (dusky hunter, masculine accusative singular). The one plausible identity for the bird, assuming the treasury-door imagery for the huge wingspread at Homer, Iliad 24.317-18 (web address 1) to be accurate, is the Golden Eagle, Aquila chrysaetos (Richardson, pp. 305-6; Peterson, p. 77).