Folio 68v Commentary

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f68v Text: Scitalis has a glittering skin. The Anphivena has two heads, one at each end. The Ydrus lives in the Nile. Illustrations: Three pictures. The scitalis has a dog's head, wings and two feet. In the margin, beside the scitalis text is the sketch of a pointed reptile's wing. The anphivena is shown with two heads, wings and claws. Amphisbaena are in fact limbless lizards, wormlike creatures with rounded head and tail and can move in two directions. This animal is pricked for pouncing. The ydrus is killing a crocodile by crawling into its mouth and tearing it apart. No animal attacks the crocodile in the manner described but the large Nile monitor lizard eats crocodile eggs, and the many types of Nilotic worm crawl in and out of the flesh of dead animals. The word 'ictrie' is written on the body of ydrus. This means icturus or jaundice yellow. Red (A) in margin is a guide for the initial, type 2. This is a Physiologus subject. The scitalis illustration in detail The anphivena illustration in detail The ydrus illustration in detail