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It is not part of the project to provide a definitive edition of the text of the Bestiary, but to help readers by providing a transcription and translation of the text. Currently the following editorial conventions obtain:
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.
The coot has a similar pose to the halcyon, f.54v, 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. The scribe has written neatly around a hole in the parchment. The scribe has omitted the word 'heretici', added by the editor in the right margin. Initials type 2.
COMMENTARY
Text
The halcyon. The sea becomes calm when the halcyon has laid its eggs.
Illustration
Portrait of a blue bird with webbed feet and a saw bill.
Comment
The blue specks of the feathers derive from Aristotle's description of a kingfisher. The excision relates to the partridge on f.54r. Initial type 2.