INTRODUCTION

This volume is the second in the publication (initiated by
Mr. Theodore Sabachnikoff) of the manuscripts of Leonardo da Vinci, which
are held in the Royal Library at Windsor.

The rules that we imposed upon ourselves in the previous publications
(The Flight of Birds and Anatomy A), will be strictly
followed in this one and in the series of volumes that will follow it.

Thus, we will first proceed with the formation of the book; which exists
neither as a single collection, such as we are presenting it, nor in the order established by Leonardo
while writing it.

The entire treasure of the Leonardian collection at Windsor Castle con-
sists of sheets which, originally, formed specific books,
but they were detached and dispersed over time, and long before
reaching the Royal Library. We are attempting to reconstitute, as much
as is possible, the original books by means of these sheets.

The selection of sheets, which formed a whole originally, using
several physical indicators—such as dimensions, paper,
ink, tint, handwriting, stains, and the alignment of
sewing marks—does not present very great difficulties; but what is
often impossible is to positively establish the order of the leaves, either
because several are missing, or because of the discontinuity of the arguments
and the absence of numbering.

Of this second volume of Anatomy, for which we mark the sheets
with the letter B, to distinguish it from the first (Sheets A) and from
those following, reconstructed by us using the sheets from the Royal Library.