Folio 55r Commentary

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f55r Text: The coot, a wise bird. The phoenix, the bird of Arabia, named for its colour of Phoenician purple. It builds a pyre for itself, faces the sun and is consumed by flames. Illustration: The coot has a similar pose to the halcyon, f54v, with its head turned back, biting its wing. It is shown correctly with clawed feet. The rubric is missing: the title for the coot is written in black. There are two initials, type 2. This is a Physiologus subject. The illustration in detail